Lucky Star: Lost, Found, and Rebound
by Symantra
Summary: She said forever. What happened to forever? Konata trusted Kagami with both her life and her soul. She still does. So why did she run? What made her run away from that house, that tsundere she loves so much? This impulse is the first of many that will be regretted, but will eventually be seen in a more insightful light.
1. Chapter 1

The front door of the Izumi household was flung open, and a a streak of blue flashed past the door. Konata didn't hear anything coming from the house she had left behind, and she would've ignored it too. Right now, she really wasn't in the mood to pretend everything was alright.

Where could she go? She didn't want to turn back, but it was already pitch black and she couldn't even see her hand. She wouldn't be finding anywhere to stay for the night.

Konata leaned up against a wall, falling to the ground and bringing her knees to her chest.

 _"It's just me tonight.. I'll be fine.. I deserve this.. right?"_

 **-Rewind 20 minutes-**

"Hey, Kagamin, you need to chill out!" Konata whined, flinging herself around the Hiiragi twin. "You've been studying for hoourrrrsssss! Take a break with me!"

"No, Konata, I can't take a break! Unlike you, I actually care about the test that's coming up!" Kagami muttered, shaking the otaku off to the side she could use her writing arm. "Go read your manga or something, I'm busy."

"When will you be done? I wanna do something fun!" Konata prompted, curling herself into a ball on the floor. "You're so boring, Kagamin."

"You're so annoying, Konata! Give me like, 10 minutes or something, I don't know. Just leave me alone." Kagami complained, flipping through her text book. _"She's so damn clingy. Even though I want to take a break, I can't just relax with her because I won't ever get anything done! I have to put a foot down, because this is the kind of thing that's going to happen in college, when we get marr-"_ Kagami quickly slapped herself in the forehead. _"No. Concentrate. Test. Not Konata."_

Konata finally left the purple-hair alone, crawling over to her manga selection and grabbing something at random. She jumped onto her bed with a dramatic shout of joy, then rolled onto her back to read. Kagami breathed a sigh of relief, going back to her studies.

Five minutes passed. Kagami heard shuffling, and she was suddenly pulled backwards into a hug. "Kagami, are you done yet?"

"Konata, stop it! I'm not done! If you're this impatient, why don't you just study with me? Maybe you'll actually understand how much I have to get done." Protesting, she was forced to drop her pencil as Konata pulled her backwards and away from the table.

"I'll just pull an all-nighter before the test, it works every time!" Konata squealed as Kagami turned around and smacked her on the head in annoyance.

"Just leave me alone! Go play your game or something, I can't get any work done with you messing around! Geez!"

"Ah, domestic violence! How have I gotten myself into such a relationship?" Konata pleaded to the skies, a hand to her head as she lay on her back. "Kagami-sama is such an abusive partner!"

Finishing her rant to the heavens, Konata rolled on her side and latched onto her tsundere, wrapping her arms and legs around the busy girl. "But I know behind all the blows and abuse, she loves me very much!"

" **Ugh**! I love you, now go to heck away! You're starting to piss me off, I don't want to deal with you right now." Kagami groaned, trying to shove her clingy girlfriend away. Although Konata could've held on longer, she relented and let go.

"I'll go play the MMO! Tell me when you're done!" Konata dashed to her computer with a feline grin on her face, settling into her chair and inputting a series of keystrokes and clicking. Starting the MMO, she quickly checked her action log and set off to do who knows what.

Before long, her cat-like smile had disappeared, and was replaced by a pout. "Sensei.." Muttering to herself, she typed furiously. After a couple of tense moments, she wailed with despair and logged out.  
"Aw, Kagamiiii!"

"What is it now?" Kagami uttered, feeling frustrated beyond belief.

"Kuroi-sensei told me to go study, even though she knows that I only do all-nighters! She always does this!" Staggering theatrically out of her chair, Konata sobbed and threw herself onto Kagami, pushing the girl over and onto the floor.

"H-hey! Seriously! Get **off**!" Kagami struggled in vain, trying to rid herself of the weight. "You're so damn annoying! Go away!"

Forcing the girl off, Kagami sat up, furiously turning back to her work and ignoring the cries of the bluenette.

"Kagami, I just want to-" Konata's complaint was cut off.

"You just want someone to play with! It's like you don't even care about how I feel. All you care about is having fun, and you've been pestering me even though I'm obviously busy right now!" Kagami snapped at her aggressor.

"Don't say that, I do care about you!"

"I'm sure you do. As long as I do whatever you want and forsake my own needs, you're happy right?" Kagami snorted, not believing it.

"No! I care about your needs, I want you to be happy too! I'm sorry if I've been bothering you.. I'll stop." Apologized the blue-haired girl, hoping she hasn't gone too far. Her hopes were dashed.

"Are you just saying that to make me feel bad?" Kagami glared. She knew that if she let in, Konata would cheer up instantly and pretend none of this ever happened.  
"Just stop talking. I really don't want to deal with you right now."

Pleading, the mischief in Konata's eyes was no longer present.  
"I'm not saying that to make you feel bad.. I'm not that kind of person! I really-" She wanted to apologize, but her girlfriend was interrupted her.

"Konata, I know who you are! You only care about yourself, and to get what you want you're perfectly fine with bending us to your will!" Kagami whipped around, the menacing look in her eyes.. disappearing when she saw her friend.

"N-no.. I'm not.." Konata was shaking, stepping back slowly. "I.. I'm not a bad person! I care about you!" She was talking to herself more than Kagami at this point. Her voice was tinged with disbelief and desperation as she talked distractedly.

"Hey, Konata, I-" Kagami's voice was no longer angry, but gentle. Nevertheless, Konata cried out and ran for the door.

"S-sorry! I'll go!" Her voice and footsteps faded, and Kagami heard a loud thud come from outside.

"Hey! Wait!" Yelled Kagami, who ran after. Seeing her blue-haired lover fallen at the bottom of the stairs, she started after her. "Konata, are you okay?"

Rolling to her feet, Konata didn't stop to talk and instead grabbed her shoes, not even putting them on as she dashed out the door. By the time Kagami got to the door, she was gone. There weren't even footsteps.

"Konata! Konata, I'm sorry! Please come back! Please.. please.." Kagami cried desperately, quickly losing hope and sinking to her knees.  
"No, no.. why am I such an idiot, what was wrong with me? Konata I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.."


	2. Chapter 2

Kagami stood at the train station with her sister, Tsukasa. Konata was nowhere to be seen.

"H-hey.. sis.. where's Kona-chan?" Tsukasa asked, a worried look in her eyes. _"She's been different ever since she came home yesterday.."_

"..." Kagami stared at the ground, not trusting her own voice. She was racked with guilt, what if something had happened to-

"Hey, sorry I'm late!" Konata ran up, smiling. "You don't have to wait for me. Go on ahead next time." She didn't bring up the incident.

"Oh, Kona-chan! It's okay, we'll wait for you. We don't mind, right sis?"

"Y-yeah.. right.." Kagami stared into the otaku's emerald eyes. _"Why can't I read her feelings?"_

/-/

The lunch bell rang, and Kagami stood up, walking briskly to the door. She ignored her friends, who were making a big deal out of it today.

"Hiiragi, you hurt me! It's like you don't care about us!"

"I'm sure she has her reasons.. She's dating Izumi-san after all. Maybe something's.."

Kagami opened the door to 3-B, scanning the room's occupants before locking onto her target. Striding over, she stopped next to Konata.

"Konata, can we talk? Outside?" It was more of a demand than a question.

"Sure thing Kagami." With a wave, Konata bid farewell to Tsukasa and Miyuki. Tsukasa stared after her sister, while Miyuki stared at Tsukasa.

"Tsukasa-chan, is there something that I should know?" Miyuki continued to stare at the airhead. She was awfully keen when it came to her friends. No change in behavior escaped her.

"Um.. Sis has been acting differently since last night.. I don't know what happened.."

"I think it concerns Izumi-san.. Has she been acting weird?" Miyuki tilted her head, her mind already formulating theories.

"Kona-chan.. I don't know. She's been acting normally.. Oh! She hasn't hugged Kagami or anything, even though she's normally so friendly." Tsukasa realized. Miyuki had already taken this information in, and an idea had blinked into her head.

 _"Maybe I should see Izumi-san after school.."_

/-/

Konata followed the tsundere out of the classroom. Kagami turned around, hands on her hips, and worry in her eyes.

"Konata, why haven't you said anything?"

"..." The cheerful smile on Konata's face disappeared, and was replaced by one of both regret and conflict. Kagami continued talking.

".. I'm really sorry about what I said.. I shouldn't have said it, but I was mad and distracted-"

"No, you were right.. I wasn't thinking about your feelings, and-" Her voice was quiet, none of that enthusiastic cheer it normally contained.

"Hey! Don't say that! I didn't mean it, I was just annoyed!" Kagami pleaded, guilt filling her eyes as she grabbed Konata by the shoulders. "Come on, please, I care about you and I know you care about me, I.."

Konata shook her head, closing her eyes, but she felt a tear escaped and slide down her face. With an anguished cry, she cupped Kagami's cheeks, leaning up to kiss her on the lips for a second.  
"I'm sorry.. I.. I can't, we can't.. One last kiss, for both of us." Konata broke away from Kagami's grasp, backing away while wiping at her face. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry.."

/-/

Tsukasa watched as her sister walked into the classroom. She saw how she looked down at the ground, how her hands would form fists, then relax. She sat down at her seat, saying nothing.  
"Sis? Is everything alright?"

"Y-Yeah.. Everything is fine!" Kagami smiled, eyes closed.

"You know, you can tell me anything. I'll listen." Tsukasa frowned. She knew when something was wrong, especially when it came to her sister. "I'm your little sister, but that doesn't mean you can't rely on me."

With a sigh, Kagami nodded slowly. "Thanks.. Tsukasa. I appreciate it." She said evasively, not wanting to talk about anything at all right now. She sat silently, the atmosphere at the table forming a chilling barrier around the twin-tailed girl.

After a couple minutes, Konata slipped through the door. "I'm back! I had to run and get something for my cousin. She couldn't do it herself." Konata grinned at her friends.

Miyuki saw how Kagami tensed up, saw how Konata sat down shakily. _"She's definitely lieing.. Kagami-san's reaction and Konata's body language are very easy to read."_ Miyuki smiled.

"Oh, can we talk after school Izumi-san? I need to ask you something." Konata looked at her, surprised.

"Uh, sure. That's fine."

"Okay, just stay here after the bell rings." Miyuki gave her short friend her best disarming smile.

The group was silent for the rest of their lunch break.

/-/

Nanako Kuroi stood up, raising her voice over the din of students. "Alright! Everybody out! I've got games to play, sake to drink! Get out!" Winking at Takara, she directed her yelling at a specific student. "Hey, Hiiragi! You can wait for them outside, get going!"

Startled, Tsukasa grabbed her supplies in a panic. "S-sorry Miyuki-san! I'll see you later!" She was bundled out the door by Kuroi, who ushered her and everybody else outside. The classroom door was pushed shut, and silence settled over the two remaining students.

Miyuki stood up, walking over to her friend's desk, helping her to her feet.  
"Izumi-san, do you have something you want to tell me?" Konata said nothing, looking down at her hands.  
"I know something is up." Miyuki put her hands on Konata's shoulders, pulling the otaku into her chest, not out of romantic intent but of comfort. She knew that her friend would have to be coaxed into talking, so she had to make the blue-haired girl feel safe.

"I..I don't know.." Konata mumbled into Miyuki's bosom. The nonchalant girl had suffered from a wound in her heart all day, but the pain lessened in her friend's arms. "It still hurts.."

Miyuki moved Konata to arm's distance, and the warmth in Konata's heart vanished as fast as it had appeared. "You can-" Miyuki was about to say something, but her friend had thrown herself back into her embrace, sobbing.

"Y-Yuki-chan, it hurts! I want to be with her but I don't want to be with her!" Konata cried, and Miyuki quickly regained her composure. Wrapping her arms around the girl, she stroked her head comfortingly. "Izumi-san.. Just tell me everything. Let it all out.."

Konata told her everything, told the pink-haired girl about what she had done, about her actions and about her regrets, about her pain and about how it wouldn't stop, no matter what she did. Miyuki cooed softly to the girl as she listened, giving the broken angel the source of warmth she needed to lessen the ache in her heart.


	3. Chapter 3

"I just had a good idea!" Konata's face lit up as she broke the silence. "We should invite your friends over here! They must feel as if they aren't spending as much time with you, Kagami. How about we see if they want to join our group?"

"Yeah, that's a good idea." Kagami agreed dully. "It's a great idea." The monotone voice went unnoticed by Konata, who bounded out of the classroom to invite her friend's friends over.

It had been a week since it happened. Kagami wanted Konata to touch her, to hug her, to hold her and whisper into her ear. She wanted to feel the girl's hands on her, wanted to kiss her and touch her..  
It never came. Konata didn't try to do anything.

"..Kagami, I know what happened. I want to help, but.. I don't know how." Miyuki admitted, her face crestfallen. Surely this wasn't a problem even Miyuki couldn't solve? Kagami felt her heart shrinking. If Miyuki couldn't help..

"That's okay. This is a problem I have to fix.. on my own.."

"No, it's not! Don't take this on all by yourself! We're on your side, we're your friends. We want you two to be happy, so we'll assist in whatever way we can!"

Tsukasa looked on sadly. She was thoroughly lost and had no idea of how to mend the broken hearts of her two friends, but..

"I'll do my best! I don't know if I can help, but I'm on your side!" Tsukasa stated, looking at Kagami with a fire in her eyes. Kagami breathed a sigh of relief, seeing her sister's determination.

"Thanks.. you two.."

Further discussion was blocked, as Konata returned, her new recruits in tow. Misao cheered loudly as she plopped down into a seat, and Ayano sat down with an apologetic look.

"Ah! Finally, you guys remember us! I thought you had forgotten us, Hiiragi!"

"Thanks for inviting us to sit with you. I hope we'll all get along!"

After introductions, the six students mingled, getting to know each other. Ayano had started to discuss the fine points of baking with Tsukasa and Miyuki, while Misao approached the girl affectionately known as _chibi_ and held out her hand in greeting.

"Hey, chibi! I'm Misao Kusakabe, but you can call me whatever you like! And since you invited us, what do you want me to call you?" Grinning, Misao's fang reflected a conveniently placed ray of light.

"Chibi?" Konata pouted, about to protest at the nickname. Before she could continue, Misao took it as a confirmation.

"Chibi it is! You can call me Misao or Misa-chan, I don't care." Misao chuckled. "How did you get to know Kagami anyways? Funny that someone as nice as you should get to know someone as prickly as her."

"Hey, I heard that!" Kagami fumed, glaring at her childhood friend.

"Nyeeh! Ignore Hiiragi, she's just jealous that she can't keep you all to herself."

"Speaking of jealousy, I see the way you glare at me sometimes." Konata pointed out, a suspicion in her eyes. "Maybe.. are you crushing on Kagami?" Konata grinned, fishing for information to file and use against this new girl.

"Not on her! She's too scary for me!" Misao feigned terror, speaking in a stage whisper, and the two of them giggled at the tsundere's expense. "I was mad that you didn't come over to meet us! I mean, how am I supposed to steal you away for my own if I don't get an introduction?" Misao grinned toothily, gesturing to show it was a joke.

"Well, there's your introduction. Do your best to steal my heart!" Konata smirked, the serious words phrased so casually stunned everybody at the table, and even putting a stopper on conversation at some nearby other tables. Through the lightning bolt that struck her heart, Kagami could feel the world around her stop, rewind, and play those words over and over and over.

 _"Konata.."_

Everyone watched in a shocked silence, eyes flickering between the tsundere, the otaku, and the genki girl. Nobody said anything, until..

"Is that a challenge, chibi?" Misao, the quickest to bypass her shock, grinned toothily. "You're on! You'll be in love with me soon!"

There was another moment of stunned silence, and then the girls laughed nervously, chattering and commenting in an attempt to clear the silence.

Kagami sat quietly, looking down at her hands like they were covered in blood..

 _"Why do I feel as if I've killed the girl I once knew.."_

Konata stood, quietly assessing the girl who had already claimed victory..

 _"She's confident.. I'll give her a chance..?"_

Misao chuckled, a playful spark meeting a determined light in her eyes.

 _"Challenge accepted! Chibi is mine!"_

The brunette didn't think her passing joke would turn into a battle for love, but she didn't back down.

/-/

"So, you think you can make me fall in love with you?" Konata teased.

"Yep! Give me about two more weeks and you'll be madly in love with me!" Misao chuckled, boarding the train with the otaku. She had talked Konata up about video games during lunch, and they had agreed to go to Konata's house to test each other's skill.

"Two weeks, huh? Kagami needed three years.." The girl looked outside the window, her reflection in the glass bearing a wistful sadness. Misao barely even caught the words that came out of the bluenette's mouth.  
"Three years, but it didn't even work out for three months.."

Misao didn't comment on Konata's strange behavior, instead laughing it off. "Heh, well I have a certain charm about me. When I set my mind to something, I get what I want! Except Hiiragi, she's the only thing that can stop me." She changed the subject.  
"So, do you live with your parents? I want to know what I'll be up against at your house."

"Yes, just my dad. My mother passed away a couple months after I was born, but my father lives with me and he's raised me ever since."

"Oh, I live with my grandparents and my brother. What's your dad like? Is he cool?"

"Well, I got my otaku interests from him, and we play a lot of the same games and watch the same anime.. We share a special bond.."

The rest of the ride was of little concern, and Konata stepped off, leading the way as Misao followed after her. The otaku's face was animated, changing constantly in reaction to the genki girl's random interjections. _"Geez, she's all over the place. How am I even keeping up?"_

 _".. Was she actually joking, about making me fall in love with her?"_


	4. Chapter 4

Nanako Kuroi sighed. Today had been boring. She thought back to the last class. Something seemed off about her student and partner.

Flashback

 _Kuroi walked the isle, glancing over student's looking, she reached out and bopped her favorite student on the head. "Izumi, do your work."_

 _"Sensei, can you please check this?" The blue-haired student spoke out, and Kuroi's head snapped back at the words._

 _"Uhh.. Sure, Izumi.." Kuroi muttered, picking up the paper and running her eyes over it. These were.. notes.. about the lesson._

 _".. G-good job.. I, uhh, never expected you to actually pay attention in class! What's up, you trying to bribe me into giving you items in the game?"_

 _"No, just.. making sure I know what I'm doing. It wouldn't do to fail high school.."_

 _"Don't you copy off of Hiiragi anyways?"_

 _".. I don't copy anymore.. I need to get by on my own power."_

 _"Err, okay. If you say so.."_

End Flashback

Something was definitely off. Izumi never tried in class. Kuroi sighed. As much as she hated the adorable otaku at times, she was like a sister to the blonde woman.

 _"Does she trust me? I know something's wrong, but this seems.. bigger."_

/-/

Laughing, she grinned at the blue-haired otaku sitting across from her. Misao grabbed his hand, shaking it enthusiastically. "Haha, you're great to be around! You're so much fun compared to my family, don't tell them I said that."

Sojiro smiled, nodding. "Yes, all of Konata's friends call us an _interesting_ family. The Hiiragi girls always asked to sleep over, just to get a feel for what it's like. Of course, Kagami is the only one who knows that feeli..ng.." His voice trailed off as he remembered who was sitting next to his guest.

"..Oh, don't worry.. I've gotten over that.. Kagami and I have made up." Attempting a smile, Konata knew it wasn't working. Sojiro said nothing.

Misao stared, confused by the suddenly tense atmosphere. _"What is up with this family? This is getting awkward.. What should I do?"_

"Oh yeah, Konata told me you guys play the same video games and watch the same shows and stuff! Are you one of those dads who matches your daughter perfectly?"

"Well, not perfectly, but we do share interests. Konata takes after me, haha!" Sojiro put a hand behind his head sheepishly. "A lot of people say that's a bad thing.."

Konata smiled, jumping enthusiastically on the change of topic. "No way, that's a good thing! I'm glad I can share so many pastimes with my dad. It symbolizes a special kind of relationship.. one that has infinite durability and can't be broken.." Her voice trailed off, her smile faded a little. _"Unbreakable.. why wasn't it.."_ She smiled even wider, grabbing Misao's hand.

"Thanks for introducing yourself to my dad Misao, but let's go play games now! He gets creepy and stuff if you stay around him too long."

"O-okay.. Bye Izumi-san! I won't do anything to your daughter, I promise!" Misao gave him a thumbs up and a fanged smile as she disappeared up the stairs.

Sojiro sighed, looking at the stairs with a smile. "Oh, Konata.. you have such good friends.."  
"I only hope they can help you out of this depression you've hidden so well.."

Konata opened the door to her room, almost pushing Misao in, who laughed and took the otaku with her, and they both landed on the floor in a fit of giggles.

Sitting up, Konata grinned, and nodded. "What do you think of my room? Messy, huh?"

Misao sat up, looking around with keen eyes. Konata's bed was opposite of the window. There were stacks of manga all over the room, figurines on top of almost every flat surface, a computer desk with more books on it, and a bookshelf filled with anime CDs was up against the wall. In one corner, there were lots of boxes and piles of stuff blocking the closet. Taking another look, she noticed something.

"It's.. cluttered.. but it's organized.."

"Mm, you noticed? Manga is organized by genre, my anime is organized alphabetically, and figures are put together by their those boxes in the corner are.." Konata explained everything to Misao, an excited gleam in her eye. _"She actually cares about this stuff! The only other people who care are Hiyori, Patty, and my dad!"_

Misao took it all in, an awed expression painted on her features. "Whoa, you really did this well! I've never seen someone organize all of their stuff.. My room is just a mess with piles of stuff in the corner, haha!" She grinned and winked at Konata. "Teach me sometime, Sensei! I could use some pointers."

"Yes, _chibi-sensei_ will show you the ways!" Konata put her hands together, taking a stiff bow. The two giggled, and Konata looked at the brunette intently. _"She has this aura that.. it feels so relaxed and playful, so inviting.."_

"So, let's play a game! What kind of games do you play, by the way?"

"Meh.. I have a lot of stuff, so just pick something out." Konata waved dismissively, pointing at the collection of games. "I don't know if you think the same way, but my dad and I both enjoy playing the visual novels and dating simulators.. It's a bit weird, but-"

"Oh, really?! I've been wanting to get some of those, you'll have to show me later! For now, let's play some shooters."

Konata shrugged, picking through her collection of games. _"You know, why does it feel like I'm the NPC in this dating sim?"_

/-/

Misao mashed buttons on the controller, her tongue sticking out in concentration. As she played, she looked over at Konata, who was seemingly effortlessly tapping buttons, getting almost a flawless score.

"Whoaa, you're so good at this! You aren't even trying!" Misao stared, wowed by the display of skill by the bluenette.

"Ahaha, I'm not the best.. I just played with Kagami a lot, and she's really good at these games, better than me. I just try to keep up."

"Mmm." Misao agreed, looking back at the screen. For a couple minutes, they just sat in companionable silence, blowing up virtual enemies.

"So, what happened with you and Kagami?" Misao prompted casually without looking at her friend, knowing the chibi would never talk if she didn't push the subject.

Konata's cat-like smile that had been present throughout the gaming session disappeared. Her avatar died, but she didn't notice. Her eyes had lost their focus, and she looked at Misao with a smile, sadness etched in her eyes and on her lips. Misao was surprised. _"There's that atmosphere again! I sense a tragic love story!"_

"It's.. a long story.. you don't want to hear it.." Konata was about to change the subject, but Misao interrupted her.

"I do." Misao put her controller down, turning to face her blue-haired friend. She needed to hear this. Although she didn't make a big deal of it, she had noticed the changes in the behavior of her two friends.

"..."

"..."

".. Are you sure? It's.. sort of.. I don't want you to pity me or anything.." Konata mumbled, looking down at her lap. Misao scooted a little closer, reaching out with a hand and tilting Konata's chin up to look her in the eyes. She smiled encouragingly.

"Tell me. I'll listen. That's what friends are for, yaknow?"

"..." Konata took a deep breath. "Well, we were really close.. we thought that nothing would ever come between us.. I told her everything about my past, and she said that she would always be there to support me in the future.."

".. I ran away, it just hurt too much to hear her voice and to look at her, and I don't know why!" Konata shut her eyes, holding back tears, not wanting to cry in front of the brunette. "She hurt me and I was scared that she would do it again.. I want to be with her but I'm scared, it hurts too much.. I.. I.." Konata's voice caught in her throat, and she swallowed painfully.

"S-sorry.. I probably do sound really selfish.. Kagami probably feels terrible too, and all I'm doing is talking about how she hurt me.." Konata kept her eyes closed, because she knew when she opened them.. She wanted to cry, but she didn't want to. She had already cried enough.

She had cried into her best friend's arms.  
She had cried into her dad's arms.  
She had cried into her lover's arms.  
She had cried, her own arms, alone in the darkness, with nobody to hold her and make her feel safe.

Misao could see how much the girl before her had cried. As much as she wanted to laugh or make a joke, she knew it wasn't the time. The chibikko needed someone to comfort her, not someone to play it off as unimportant.

She reached over, and put a hand on the girl's shoulder, a hand on her cheek. Raising the girl's head to eye level, she waited. And waited.

Konata reluctantly opened her eyes, and Misao saw the veil of tears covering those emerald irises. Konata looked away, flushed with embarrassment, but Misao put a hand on the girl's cheek and stopped her.

"Hey.. chibi..Let me be one of those people? I want to help, I want to be there for you when you need to cry, when you're happy, when you just want someone to talk to." Misao offered, in a serious tone of voice. Misao being serious was more uncommon than Sojiro's being serious, but this was important after all.

"B-but.. It hurts.. I don't want to drag you into this.. you'll just feel sorry for me..!" Konata muttered, leaning away and trying to avoid being sucked into those golden eyes. Misao grabbed her and pulled her into a hug. Saying nothing, she let Konata's head rest against her shoulder, touching the blue hair and the girl's fragile body.

Minutes passed as Konata shook in Misao's embrace, eventually hugging her back and starting to cry softly.

"Misao.. it hurts.. I feel like part of me is gone.." Sniffling, she took a breath and kept going. "I feel terrible and I want to make it up but I don't know how, it just hurts too much every time I look at her.."

"Hey.. do you still care about her? About Hiiragi?" Misao asked. She had to know..

"I.. I don't know.." Konata sobbed louder. "I want to love her but something hurts every time I think about her, it just.. I just.."

"Did I do the right thing.. Misao?"

"You tell me, chibi.. your heart has to be the one to say it."

Misao let the girl cry into her arms. _"Did I do the right thing? Someone tell me.. Should I be doing this?"_


	5. Chapter 5

Sojiro walked up the stairs heavily, and he knocked lightly on the door to his daughter's room. Hearing a voice respond with a quiet _Come in!_ he entered and the first thing he saw was a pair of golden eyes, the Kusakabe girl holding his daughter carefully. She smiled apologetically as the man leaned against the doorframe.

"She's asleep.." Misao told her friend's father. He smiled.

"Mm.. Thank you. Has she.. opened up to you?" He asked in a solemn tone.

"..Yeah, I guess so.." Misao sighed. "She's actually sort of fragile. Didn't expect chibi to have such an emotional side!"

"She hides it well.. She's always cheery and has that laid-back attitude, but recently she's been crushed about Kagami.." Sojiro sighed. "She told you about who she trusts?"

"She said she trusts you, her mother, Tsukasa, Miyuki. I'm the newest addition to that list, huh?" Misao chuckled. Then her face darkened. "I'm worried because she didn't mention Kagami. Was it really.. that bad..?"

Sojiro sighed. "It was a misunderstanding. Kagami said some things that she regrets now. I'll bet both of them want to make up, but Konata says.."

"It hurts too much.. right?" Misao finished. The blue-haired man nodded, crestfallen.

"I don't know if they'll work out.. For all my experience with dating sims and visual novels, I can't think of any way to help Konata get rid of the pain in her heart. The worst thing is, the longer this goes on, the worse it'll get.. Kagami probably feels bad now, but eventually she'll get over it.. Konata won't be able to move on, if she's anything like me."

Sighing wistfully, he thought back to his final conversation with his wife. "I was the same way when it came to love. I didn't want to move on. I still haven't. Konata will try, but she won't ever be able to fully get past her love for Kagami, but if Kagami decides to give up, then Konata will have that ache in her heart forever, I don't want her to.. end up like me.." A tear fell from his eye, and he caught it on the back of his hand.

"Kusakabe Misao.. can you please help us? We need your help.. Konata has endeared herself to all of us, her friends, her family, and it hurts all of us to see her like this."

Misao looked at the blue-haired man, and then at the blue-haired girl sleeping against her.

 _"Chibi is so fun to be around.. She really holds a place in everyone's heart. It really does hurt to see her being so miserable, heh."_

Misao looked back at Sojiro with a fire in her eyes and a grin on her face.

"I promise! I'll help Chibi Izumi, whatever she wants to do. If she moves on, if she still wants to fight, I'll be her ally!"

Sojiro smiled. "Konata has such great friends.. Thank you."

/-/

Kagami woke up feeling warm for the first time in two weeks. She was curled up in fetal position, and someone was wrapped around her. She felt a warmth spring up in her chest. Could it be?

"K.. Konata?"

The figure stirred, and a pair of innocent, purple eyes met hers. Suddenly the warm feeling disappeared, but another feeling popped up.

"O-oh.. Tsukasa.."

"Sis.. sorry if I got your hopes up."

"No, no.. it's okay.. I need to.. get over it.." Kagami muttered, feeling a flash of pain at the very thought. _"How can I get used.. to not having Konata.."_

Tsukasa looked at her sister sadly. Kagami had always been the dependable, smart older sister. Now, she was broken and dull. Her happiness when she was dating Konata had been over the record, but now she was even worse off than before the two had confessed. There'd never been a time where Tsukasa had seen Kagami like this.

"Big sis.. you can still make up! I think Konata still loves you." Tsukasa thought back to the new version of Konata that had appeared the day after the incident. The girl's friendliness and neutral treatment of Kagami masked a desire, a longing for what they had before. "She's always looking at you, and you can tell that she still wants you.."

"B-but.. she said it herself.. we aren't dating.. she broke up with me..! I hate it, I want an excuse to get mad, and I just want to hug her and tell her I'm sorry.. and, and.. I don't know what I want anymore.." Kagami hung her head, tears wetting her sister's clothes. Should she be angry at Konata? Should she be angry at herself?

Tsukasa sat there, holding her big sister in her arms.

"Sis.. It'll be alright sis.. Everything will be okay.. Kagami.."

/-/

Konata woke up feeling warm for the first time in two weeks. It was dim in her room, the blinds filtering out all but a couple rays of light; there was just enough light to be able to see properly. She was leaning against someone, and for a moment her heart pounded.

".. Kagami?" She asked hesitantly, looking up at the girl's face.

"Sorry chibi.. it's just me." Misao smiled. Konata's face fell, but then lit up.

"That's okay.. You'll do, you'll do!" Konata joked. She rested her head against her pillow, and Misao found that the girl's face was startlingly close. She blushed a little bit as she looked into the sparking emerald eyes.

"Ha.. you really are beautiful, you know that?" Misao thought out loud, lost in Konata's eyes.

"..You think so?" Konata smiled sincerely, a playful manner in her voice. Misao's eyes widened, and the red on her cheeks darkened. She quickly grinned, her fang showing in her mouth.

"I think so. I'm not just hitting on you or anything, you really are adorable." Misao ruffled the sky-blue hair, laughing at the ahoge bouncing back and forth. "And your hair is so nice, I'm sort of jealous. It's like you traded your height for beautiful hair, haha!" Misao started to play with the long blue hair, her fingers sliding through Konata's hair easily. "Wow, it's so smooth, and cool! It's like water!"

Konata sat still, turning red as Misao touched her hair, smiling at the playfulness in the golden eyes. "U-Um.." After a couple minutes, Konata spoke up, almost bashfully. "..your.."

Misao blinked. "Hm? What's up?" She asked, noticing how close she was. She could almost kiss Konata if she moved forwards a bit more. "Oh, sorry, sorry. I got carried away, it's too fun touching your hair," said Misao, grinning widely but not moving away. "Do you want me to stop?"

"No.. I don't mind." Konata mumbled, blushing profusely. Her embarrassment actually embarrassed herself even more, but Misao didn't know that. _"I'm so out of character.. I'm acting like a tsundere's dere side!"_

The brunette just chuckled, patting the top of her new friend's head. "You're actually really cute! I like how you get all red and stuff, it's adorable!" Misao cheered, throwing her hands above her head. Konata was reminded of how she used to be, before she started dating Kagami. Konata giggled at her friend's enthusiasm.

"You're really obsessed with my looks.. Who was trying to make who fall in love, again?" Teased the bluenette, suddenly moving her face closer to Misao, with her signature cat-like grin. Misao moved back instinctively, and Konata saw her friend's cheeks turn red.

"W-well, it wouldn't be love if it was only one-sided.. right?" Misao stammered, and if Konata hadn't caught her, she'd have fell over. The reason behind her losing balance was that the otaku had moved closer again, and she had brushed her lips against Misao's.

 _"Whoa, whoa, she kissed me!"_ Misao stared open-mouthed at the face hovering above hers. The mischievous verdant eyes shined down at her, and Konata giggled before pulling the girl up straight.

"You almost fell over. Good thing I caught you, right? Your knight in shining armor, heheh~" Konata grinned.

Misao smirked, then laughed out loud. "Ah, two can play at this game, _knight-sama_. You're still going to fall in love with me eventually!"

"Chances are, I won't be the only one, hmm?" Konata teased, poking her possible love interest.

"Maybe I'm already in love with you." Misao blurted out. After realizing what she had just admitted, she grinned nervously. "Just a chance."

Konata didn't feel flustered by this, but her cheeks were still pink. She grinned back, and she grabbed Misao's wrists to yank her upright, then suddenly fell backwards without letting go. Misao let out a shout of surprise as she put her hands out to stop her fall. After a moment, she realized the position they were in.

"Ch.. chibi.. what are you doing?" She said slowly, feeling her face get warm. _Chibi's_ blue hair was sprawled out beneath her, and Misao had her wrists pinned above her head. Konata looked so small and adorable when she was-

"M-Misao!" The voice broke through her thoughts, and Misao blushed at how cute the protesting voice sounded. Konata's face was so cute and embarrassed, all red and her eyes shining, and she looked so vulnerable right now!

"If you're trying to tempt me, it's working.." Purred the golden-eyed girl, and she leaned her head down to look closer at Konata's face. Konata blushed and turned away.

"Heh.. hehe.." Konata laughed nervously, fidgeting under the intent eyes. _"Ah, maybe I took it too far.."_

Misao kept staring. Eventually, she opened her mouth and spoke. "Can I kiss you? I wanna try it again, I'm ready this time!" The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could rephrase them into something more tactical. Both girls blushed, but Konata nodded just the tiniest bit.


	6. Chapter 6

The bell rang.

"Alright students, enjoy your lunch break!" Sakuraba called out over the din, watching as all of her students bounced around, finding their friend groups. She watched as Hiiragi, Kusakabe, and Minegishi left to go to Nanako's class as usual. Sakuraba smiled as the brown-haired girl shot out the door, followed more slowly by the other two.

 _"Energetic as always.."_

Misao bounded into 3-B, a grin on her face and a shout leaving her lips. "Hey, I'm back! Did ya'll miss me?" As the brunette dashed towards their friend group, Ayano and Kagami followed her looking embarrassed and annoyed, respectively.

"Um, sorry everyone. She's excited today." Ayano apologized, looking around with a nervous smile. Kagami just rolled her eyes.

".. doesn't balsamic vinegar sort of resemble soy sauce?" Konata wondered. Tsukasa thought about it.

"Soy sauce? Well.. balsamic vinegar has a more sour taste, and soy sauce is usually salty.."

"I heard they used grapes in balsamic vinegar."

"I think that's only the expensive kind, I'm not sure if they put grapes in balsamic vinegar you can get at the store."

Konata was about to reply, but she was suddenly grabbed from behind in a hug.

"Hey, chibi! You miss me?" Misao purred, nuzzling up to the bluenette.

"Oh, hi Misao." Konata greeted the girl, more or less neutrally.

"What, no reaction? That's boring! You have to be adorable or something!" Misao pouted. "Chibi is so heartless!"

"You said I'm always adorable." Pointed out _chibi_ loudly, with a straight face.

"What? I said that?" Misao laughed nervously, feeling eyes on her. _"I didn't say it like that.. She makes it sound so wrong!"_

"No. I just wanted to see your reaction." Konata smiled innocently, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Well, the way you got all embarrassed yesterday **was** cute, so you can't blame me!" Misao grinned at the girl suggestively, and a defiant streak of pink appeared on her face.

"Hey, that was different.." Konata protested.

"Yay, you're getting embarrassed again! Cute!" Misao threw her arms in the air, announcing her thoughts out the world. Most everybody rolled their eyes or ignored her, and her friends looked on with amused looks, excluding Kagami.

"You don't have to make such a big deal about it, Misao." She grumbled, rolling her eyes. _"She's completely insensitive to my feelings, huh.."_

"Sorry, sorry, but I can't help it! Chibi is adorable!" Misao smiled, hugging Konata again.

"M-Misao, you.." Konata started, but she was interrupted by a harsh voice.

"You can save all that hugging and whatever for somewhere else, not all of us want to see it." Kagami icy glare and sharp tongue cut through the conversation like a blade, and you could practically see the nervous sweatdrop on everybody's head.

"Nyehh, is Hiiragi jealous?" Misao taunted, still with her arms wrapped around poor Konata. The otaku saw what was coming, and she spoke up.

"Misao, maybe you should-" Interrupted.

"I'm not jealous!" Kagami lied through her teeth. _"God, I really am jealous.."_

"Yes you are! Chibi needs someone to hold her too, she can't just go around hugging everyone and getting nothing back!"

"What? That's true, but what does it have to do with this?"

"I'm just making sure she feels welcome, you know?"

While Tsukasa and Ayano were flickering back and forth between the two arguing girls, Miyuki noticed Konata, awkwardly sitting in the crossfire. As she looked between them in a panic, her eyes landed on her dependable, pink-haired friend, pleading. Miyuki gave her a sympathetic smile, then gestured at the girl, hoping it would get the message across. _"Best thing for Izumi-san to do right now is escape the scene.. One of them will chase after her.."_

Konata's eyes lit up, understanding the meganekko completely. Nodding her thanks, she then let out a cry of anguish, breaking out of Misao's hug, and making a dash for the door. On the way she purposely swerved into one of the students, yelling an apology as she shoved him backwards. Misao shouted, running past the startled _Sebastian_ and following her friend.

"Ah, Izumi-san is a good actor." Ayano commented, smiling in amusement. Miyuki smiled back.

"She may not be acting. More often than not, a dramatic act or scene can bring out actual emotions and feelings from one's personality." Miyuki stated.

Kagami tried to follow them, but someone grabbed her arm. Whipping her head around, she glared at.. her sister?

"What are you doing? Let go!" If she had wrenched herself free in a second, she would've been able to chase after the two.  
"I have to go too!" But she underestimated how strong Tsukasa could be when she was trying, and she didn't use enough force in the fear she would hurt her sister.

"No, sis! Let them, you have to tell us too! We want to help, and we need you to explain the problem to us!" Tsukasa said grimly, digging her heels in and defying the wishes of her big sister. _"Come on, sis.. Don't make this hard for us!"_

Kagami struggled vainly, but her chance was lost, and she felt someone seize her other arm. Tsukasa sighed in relief as the effort of stopping her sister went to her ally. Kagami spun around, about to yell, but stopped when she saw who was looking back at her.

"Hiiragi, let Kusakabe take care of her." Nanako Kuroi said sternly. "I knew something was going on with Izumi, and I want in." The blonde woman made eye contact with every girl in the group, but stayed on Kagami. "Izumi is my friend too, and you guys sure as hell ain't leaving me out of this."

/-/

Konata ran. She ignored everybody who looked at her, bustling past anyone in her way, barely managing to make the 90 degree turns at the end of the hallways.

With a gasp, she jumped to the side, managing to dodge the door that had just opened, but she hit the wall and stumbled, falling to one knee. Minami and Yutaka stepped out of the nurse's office, staring in surprise.

"I-Izumi-senpai? Are you alright?"

"Sis?! What are you-" Yutaka was cut off as someone yelled from down the hall.

"Hey! Chibi!" Konata scrambled to her feet, taking off again.

"Sorry Yutaka, not now!" She shouted, turning the corner.

Misao barreled past the two, waving distractedly. "I'll take care of her, don't follow me!"

Yutaka took a step after them impulsively, but Minami held her back. "No.. let's trust Kusakabe-senpai. She'll take care of it.. let's get to class."

Konata threw herself against the school building door, grunting as she forced it open and slid through the gap. Suddenly the adrenaline ran out, and she leaned against a wall, breathing heavily.

Misao ran out yelling, running over to the girl, supporting her by putting an arm around her waist and her shoulder. "Hey, chibi! I thought I could catch up even with the headstart you got, but you really are pretty fast.. haha.."

She helped Konata sit down, then waited for her to catch her breath.

Konata's chest moved up and down quickly, and she avoided making eye contact with the brunette, saying nothing at all. Misao kept waiting.

After a minute or so, Misao straddled her friend, grinning as she did so. "In case you try to run away. Plus, I'm bored." Her voice softened, along with her expression. "Now.. talk to me. Just like that one time at your house.. Tell me what you're feeling right now."

The bluenette said nothing but looked away as her face flushed pink. _"I don't know what I should say.."_  
She felt Misao cup her cheeks, her head was tilted upwards, and she gasped into a kiss. Konata eventually gave in, melting into her fanged friend's embrace and sliding her hands around her waist. Breaking away, Misao smirked, then laughed out loud.

"My bad, you're adorable when you're like this. I couldn't resist." Misao's smirk faded. "Do you still have feelings? For Hii.. Kagami?"

Konata sighed, knowing she would end up tearing up through the story. "I still don't know.. I want to.. but.. it hurts, so bad.. she still looks at me so sadly and I can't look at her without feeling my heart break.." Tears slid down Konata's eyes, and Misao gently wiped them away.  
"I shouldn't have broke up with her in the first place, it was stupid and it was just a misunderstanding! I was stupid, I know she wouldn't say that about me on purpose, but it hurt so bad I thought I was doing the right thing!" She choked back a sob, and the ache in her heart lessened as she was pulled into a hug. Misao whispered comfortingly, telling her it would be alright, telling her to let everything out. After a few tries, Konata found her voice and kept going.  
"If I hadn't been an idiot, we probably would've already made up and we'd be back together, but now it feels like there's nothing inside! I want her back, Misao, I want her but I can't have her! It hurts too much!" Konata bawled, clutching at her source of warmth, and Misao hugged the girl, feeling a tear roll down her own face. _"Aw, come on, me! Don't cry, you're supposed to be the strong one!"_

Pulling away, Misao looked gently yet firmly at Konata, golden meeting emerald. Her words were serious; her voice was serious.

"Chibi, you're strong and you're fragile at the same time. You always put up your shield in public, no matter how much it hurts inside, and it's fine if something manages to pass your guard! But when something does, you need someone to be there for you, someone to hug you and hold you and talk to, someone to talk back. Right?" Misao stopped, planning out the next part of her speech. When her audience nodded, she continued.  
"Let me be that person for now. I don't care if I'm the rebound, I don't care if I'm the second choice, even though I know I probably am. I want you to be happy, chibi! Until Kagami apologizes and cries her heart out for you, and that pain finally stops and you can finally forgive her, I'll be here. Anything you need, anything you need to get off your shoulders, let me carry your burden." Misao grinned, her tooth sticking out.  
"We're all out of character right now, huh? I don't know if you got all that. I may have lost you halfway through. What I'm trying to ask is.. Will you be my girlfriend, Chibi Izumi?"

Chibi Izumi had, in fact, gotten everything. She understood the reasoning behind her friend's actions, understood what her friend wanted, understood what she herself wanted.

 _"All she wants, all everybody wants.. is for me to be happy.. huh.."_

Konata's heart tumbled between hope and relief, desperately latching onto her salvation and hugging her tightly.

"Misao.. thank you.." She muttered, closing her eyes and feeling the warmth inside her chest spread.

Misao smiled. "I don't like seeing you so sad and emotional and stuff. Seriously, you're going to make me cry. Stop."


	7. Chapter 7

Sojiro glanced at his daughter, his face expressionless. Then he stared intently at his daughter's girlfriend, noticing the way she gulped but still made eye contact.

"Misao Kusakabe, right?" He confirmed, setting the mood for the conversation. Misao nodded nervously. When he wanted to, Konata's father could be rather menacing..  
"You're dating my daughter?"

"Yeah. Chi- .. Konata and I have talked about it, and we've decided that we want to try."

"..." Sojiro said nothing.

"Misao is a good person, even though she's hyper. She'll take care of me." Konata defended her friend, grabbing her hand. She smiled, and got a smile back. Sojiro watched stone-faced.

He didn't harbor any ill feelings towards her. In fact, he was thankful. Being in a serious relationship with his daughter meant that she would have another outlet for her emotions. Keeping them inside her would only cause harm, so it was good that she had someone to talk to and to share a mutual bond with. As much as Sojiro wanted to be that person, he knew it had to be more of a romance and less of a fatherly love that would help Konata move on.

But it would be boring if he didn't put on a show, right?

"If Konata cares that much about you, then we can make an agreement." Sojiro paused, letting that sink in. When he continued his voice was threatening and protective at the same time. "You can be her girlfriend. But if you ever hurt her, if you make her cry, you have more than one Izumi to deal with."

Then all traces of danger disappeared, and his face melted into a smile. "Alright, Misao. Please take care of my daughter." Seeing the relieved expression on the brunette's face, he chuckled a bit as the two hugged each other.

"Yay, he accepted you!" Konata cheered, but a cat-like grin directed at Sojiro told him that she knew he had faked the whole thing. _"She can see right through me.. That's my girl!"_

/-/

Now in the otaku's lair, Misao and Konata sat down at the table, falling backwards onto the ground and sighing loudly in perfect synchronization. After bantering with each other for a couple of minutes, the serious topics slowly floated to the top.

"Man, today really was something!" Misao exclaimed, putting her hands behind her head. She laughed as she reviewed the events that had occurred. "A lot happened today, right chibi?"

Konata, also, cast her mind back over the day's events. She couldn't help but flinch at the thought. "Yeah.. A lot.."  
 _"Was it really alright for me to do this? Did I do the right thing?"_

Misao looked over at her, curiosity being the only thing written on her face. "What'cha thinking about?"

"..." Konata didn't respond, but that gave Misao her answer.

"Hm." Misao grunted. "I want to say I know how you feel, but I'd be lieing. All I can say is, I'm your girlfriend now. Anything you need to get off your chest?"

"Misao.."

"If you're worried about my feelings, thanks. As much as I appreciate that, I don't want to see you smothering yourself though. We're all like that. Most of us know how you prioritize making us happy, and you neglect yourself."

"..." When her speech was met with silence, Misao took that as a cue to keep going.

"Nobody wants you to hold it all in, none of us want you to care only for other people and not yourself. Be a little selfish once in a while, you get it? If there was a karma system, you'd be the one girl hoarding it and not using it, if you know what I mean. You can afford to ask us for things, we don't mind!"

"Thank you.. I will." Quietly, the bluenette nodded her thanks and smiled faintly.

"Just don't ask me about money or politics." Misao joked. "I can't help you with either of those!" Grinning, she ruffled the short girl's hair.

"Haha, thanks Misao! I'll be sure to take advantage of your offer!" Having lightened the mood, Misao felt a hand travelling down along her side and stop at her waist, before the presence disappeared altogether. Konata giggled innocently while Misao feigned exasperation.

"That doesn't mean you can have my body just yet, chibi. From all those dating sims you play, I would've expected you to know you can't jump straight into sex, haha!"

"Oh my, what are you talking about? I wouldn't **dare** do such a thing so rashly." Konata cooed and pursed her lips. Misao took the initiative, kissing the unsuspecting girl without warning.

Konata returned the kiss, surprised but pleased.

/-/

"We have to tell them." Konata said out of the blue. "Our friends. At school."

Not looking away from the screen, Misao replied. "Okay. Tomorrow?"

"..." Konata's lips formed a line, and she glanced sidelong at her partner. "You'll be there, right?"

"Yeah, of course chibi! Goes without question. That way if Hiiragi bites you, I can protect you!" Misao grinned at the bluenette, but her expression quickly turned to match the one on the other girl's face.

"Misao.. I'm sort of scared.." Konata mumbled, her normally bright eyes wavering with doubt. "What if Kagami.. I mean, we used to be.. She might get mad, and then.."

"Hey, she's still your friend you know! Hiiragi wouldn't hurt you on purpose. Even if she tries, she has to get past the rest of us.. including me." Misao grinned, nudging her girlfriend with her elbow.

Konata did her best to grin and laugh it off. "Haha.. you're right.. Kagami is a good friend, a good person. She wouldn't get mad.." She told herself, almost halfheartedly.

 _"Misao is right.. right?"_

/-/

Kagami walked through the classroom, trying her best to ignore Misao's positively radiating enthusiasm. She waved at her friends, the smile on her face not reaching her eyes.

"What's up?"

"Hello Kagami-san!"

"Welcome back sis!"

"Hey, Kagami!"

"Hey Konata, was that you earlier? In the hallway?" Kagami asked, remembering the crowd of people and yelling.

"Oh, you heard about that? That was me, yeah." Konata grinned, put down her chocolate cornet and stood up, stepping a reasonable distance away from the table. "Hold on, let me open my box of memories real quick."  
"So, when it happened I was just walking through the hallway and all of a sudden this girl falls into me." Konata said, looking surprised and pretending to stagger to the side.

 _The girl in question bumps into Konata by accident, and she instantly takes a step backwards, her hands raised in apology._

"She starts to talk really fast and she says sorry and stuff, but then the new transfer student dude comes up and starts yelling at her and she gets really scared and everything! So naturally, I step in front of her and take up a fighting stance." Konata assumes her stance, her shoulders raised, her hands up, her head tilted down.

 _When she took a step back, she knocked into a student, and he spills his drink all over his uniform. Swearing, he glared at the girl and advanced on her, but Konata stepped in front, holding her hands out and explaining frantically._

"The guy glares at me and starts to talk crap, trying to sound threatening and ignoring everything I say. Seeing no way around this problem, I swiftly step in with a sweep kick and knock him to the floor!" Konata moves forward, dropping down and whipping her leg in front of her in a kick.

 _The boy interrupts Konata, telling her to get out of the way before he does it himself. Konata, her eyes sparking with anger, steps forward and knocks him to the ground, spinning gracefully and posing._

"But he's about to get up and attack me, probably with a typical roundhouse punch, but thankfully Kuroi-sensei grabs his arm while he's winding up, and she drags him away while thanking me for my daring heroics!"

 _Kuroi appears from the classroom's door, going straight for Konata and grabbing her arm. The girl from before speaks up, asking for the release of her blue-headed savior. Reluctantly, Kuroi lets go of Konata, but not before scolding her. However, she then walks over to the winded boy, standing over him and grinning. "Ah, try not to piss her off. I don't want to expel her for hospitalizing someone."_

".. And that's what happened." Konata finished, sitting down with an air of modesty.

"That was really brave of you, Kona-chan!" Tsukasa beamed, marveling at how capable her friend was. Kagami furrowed her eyebrows and stared hard at the otaku.

"I'll ask Miyuki about the true story later." She snorted, smirking in the pinkette's direction, but all she got was an apologetic shake of the head.

"I'm afraid I didn't see what happened. I do believe Izumi-san's story, but she does have a habit of bending the truth a little bit." Miyuki stated.

"I'm not sure if you're on my side or not.." Konata pouted at the lack of trust by her friends.

Settling down, the six girls chatted idly about whatever came to mind. Konata said nothing. Not that she wanted to, but now it felt like taboo to crack jokes or make witty comments.

"Oh, Chibi and I wanna tell you guys something." Konata froze, her face paling at the words.  
 _".. Ah.. ... ..."_  
"May I?" Misao turned to the otaku, raising her eyebrows and smiling encouragingly. Biting her lip, Konata bit her lip and braced herself.

Tsukasa looked at her friend with concern, the short girl's strange behavior not going unnoticed. _"Kona-chan looks.. scared?"_  
"Are you okay Kona-chan?" She asked, but the shaky laugh and reply she got didn't qualm her worries.

Ayano watched the brunette, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. _"She's being polite. That's not normal.. Wow, that sounded really mean.."_ Shaking her head as if to clear away the thought, she sat back in her seat and waited patiently.

Kagami sat with a blank expression. The interactions between her two friends was.. She didn't like it. The way they always sat next to each other, the way they laughed and looked at each other..

She had known this would happen. Konata seemed put-off and dispirited whenever Misao wasn't around.

Konata needed people, but she needed more than friends. Konata had referred to herself as a social person on more than one occasion, when it was just the two of them. She needed a person to love and care for, who would love her back and care for her.

Thinking about it, she felt terrible. The only thing she had done ever since? Distance herself from the poor girl. For all her worth, she couldn't bring herself to approach Konata, to say anything, to even mention what had happened. Every time she ended up alone with her best friend, the words wouldn't and her eyes would find something else to look at.

Why was it so hard?

Why couldn't she bridge this rift that had appeared between them..?

Why.. All she wanted was-

She hadn't realized her eyes were filled with tears. _"I'm.. crying.."_

"K-Kagami, I-" Heart pounding and stammering over her words, Konata felt panic quickly rising up in her chest, but it disappeared promptly when she received a hug from the tsundere.

"Sorry.. Konata.." Kagami muttered, barely audible. "Just.. if you're happy."

Konata opened her mouth but nothing came out. Giving in, she buried her face into the taller girl's shoulder, hugging her tightly. _"Kagami.. thank you.."_

Misao's stood quietly, watching the two embrace. Her eyes shone with emotion, not of jealousy but of pride and the slightest bit of happiness.  
 _"You know.. If things were different, I would totally ship Chibi and Hiiragi!"_


	8. Chapter 8

**-Some time after lunch-**

Although victory was not hers, Misao cheered anyways.

"Whoa, Izumi-san! So strong!" Releasing her controller and letting it drop to the ground in front of her, her hands flew above her head and she fell backwards, landing on her back and sprawling out on the carpet. "You just crushed me! How'd you get so good at fighting games?"

"That would be my daughter." Sojiro said smugly. "Little does she know, she's not the only one honing their skills during our daily training matches!"

"Sneaky, sneaky.." Misao's enthusiasm vanished to be replaced by a cautious apprehension.

"H-hey! It's not like I'm doing anything wrong, you know?" He defended himself, waving his hands in protest.

"I'm just kidding, dude!" Misao's suspicious expression disappeared and was replaced by a triumphant grin. "I thought you'd be better at telling, being around your daughter all the time!"

"What you think isn't exactly true.. Konata is too weird for me to understand."

"Says the lolicon." A third voice dripping with conceit and sarcasm joined the conversation, and Misao looked over the blue-haired man's shoulder to see more blue.

"Ah, chibi, hello!" She sat up from her sprawl, standing up and running over to the petite girl to grab her in a hug, acting as if Sojiro wasn't even there.

"Hey Misao!" Konata's voice had instantly brightened, and a tiny bit of pink appeared on her cheeks as she returned the hug.

"I can't help but feel I was just a substitute.." Sojiro sighed dramatically, but he turned to the girls with a smile. "Glad you two are so happy to see each other."

"Of course! I'm also glad that Misao hasn't been violated or harmed in any way!" Konata smiled, the harsh words clashing with her sweet voice. Sojiro was about to complain, but Misao got to it first.

"W-Well, chibi.. I, uh, have something to tell you." Misao stammered nervously, still hugging Konata but looking away.

"..." The bluenette's mouth was open as if to reply, but nothing came out. Konata's hold around Misao's waist loosened, and she turned her head to look suspiciously at her father.

"Wait, wait wait wait, don't look at me like that! I didn't do anything!" Sojiro paled at the sight of his daughter's grim stare, and he backed away with all possible haste.

"Dad.. What did you do?" Her voice was imbued with a sweet venom, a calm anger, and a very dangerous polite tone. Konata took a step towards her father, but she was still being held closely by Misao.

"He beat me." The brunette said, as if she had been asked to read off of a sign. Konata froze, her body rigid with tension. A moment later her figure relaxed, and her jaw dropped. As good as Misao's acting was, it appeared that something had tipped it off.

"Wow. You tricked me." Konata confirmed, looking between her girlfriend and her father. A smile started to form on her face, but then it was gone and replaced by an annoyed frown. "It worked, just so you know. I was starting to get **really** pissed! Someone almost died." She said the last part so matter-of-fact, Sojiro could practically reach up and touch the blade belonging to the _shinigami_ behind him.  
 _"My daughter is scary.."_

"I wasn't included in any of the planning, it was all her fault." The person cowering against the wall spoke up to plead his innocence. Misao frowned at him, but she decided to let it pass.

 _"I didn't tell him about it, so I guess it's okay for him to blame me. But oh man, chibi must be scary when she's mad! Look at the way he's hiding in the corner!"_ A shiver ran down Misao's spine. _"Maybe scarier than Hiiragi.."_  
"Sorry, Konata." Misao apologized. Using the girl's name seemed appropriate for the situation. "I didn't mean for it to go that far. I was about to tell you, but you figured it out first! How'd you know, anyways?"

"Oh, that? If he beat you, then you would be crying right now." Konata explained cheerfully, her annoyance having dissipated. Misao stared at her.

"Uh.." She stared at the girl she was still holding onto. Konata smiled back.

"You could say something about how you're used to it? Maybe how you actually enjoyed it?" Konata suggested. Nobody could tell if she was serious or not. Misao didn't even try. She just kept staring in an attempt to make sense of the situation.

 _".. Chibi really is scarier than Hiiragi.."_

/-/

 **-Several hours later-**

"Misaaaaaaao!" Drawled a certain blue-haired girl. She approached her target, stopping a comfortable reason away. As the girl turned her head to look at the speaker, Konata shot forwards, reaching out and locking them around the brunette's waist.

"Whoa, calm down! If you knock me over, I'll get hurt. Then I won't be able to play with you." Misao staggered forward a bit at the sudden impact, but she managed to stay standing. She couldn't turn around to face the shorter girl since she was being hugged from behind, so she reached behind her and used her hands to feel around, managing to pat Konata on the head.

"It's okay because I would still be able to play with you." Konata corrected her with a slightly sadistic tone in her voice. Misao suddenly felt a chill travel through her body.

"Chibi, you're scaring me. If you hurt me, I won't be your girlfriend anymore."

"It won't hurt!" Konata exclaimed, tightening her grip around Misao's waist. "But I'm sorry, I won't do that anymore."

"At least, not in the living room. You can do that as long as I'm standing near a bed!" Misao grinned, still trying to twist herself around in Konata's grasp. Even with the element of surprise and distraction, the lock around her waist seemed even tighter than before. "Hey, when are you going to let go? I can't see your adorable blushing face!"

Konata just shook her head, her ponytail tapping against Misao's sides. "Nuh uh. You don't get to see me."

"If you let me see you, I'll take you out on a date." Misao countered, the grin never leaving her face.

"..." Konata didn't say anything for a bit. She hummed loudly to give off the impression that she was thinking over it.

"You have to let go, or no deal." Misao reminded her with a patronizing tone. She reached down and pulled on the restraining hands as if unbuckling a seat belt. Reluctantly the grip around her waist opened, and she turned around with a grin.

"You're still blushing!" She lied.

"I.. I wasn't blushing in the first place." Konata tried to play it off, but Misao just thought it was cute when the girl raised her eyebrow and scoffed at her statement. "You sure about that?"

"Just kidding! But now you're blushing again!" Misao chuckled, taking in the mix of blue hair, green eyes, and red cheeks.

".. Idiot." Crossing her arms and looking away, Konata looked to be the image of adorable. At least, that's what Misao thought when she decided to step in and scoop the girl off of her feet, holding her bridal-style.

"Whatever! I owe you a date, so let's go, chibi!"

"H-Hey! M-Misao, put me down!" Konata yelped, fumbling her words in her surprise.

"No way!" Misao sung out excitedly. "You're so light! I could carry you around forever!" Striding for the door, she grinned as Konata, her face flushed red, attempted to escape, tossing and twisting in Misao's grasp.

"Wait, let me get my shoes! Come on!"

"If I drop you, it's all your fault! Stop resisting, chibi!"

/-/

"I can't believe you.. You're so annoying sometimes, I hope you know that!" Konata complained, still miffed about earlier.

"Chibi! Chiiibiiiii, forgive me! You were just _sooooo_ cute!" Misao walked side-by-side with her shorter than average girlfriend, making plenty of excuses. Konata just ignored the girl's frantic pleas for affection, turning her head in the opposite direction.

"Why should I forgive you?" Konata countered, toning down the annoyance in her voice as to not be taken to heart. In her peripheral vision, Misao visibly moved closer.

"I'll carry you the rest of the way!" Misao offered, already reaching out. Sensing danger, Konata spun and danced away, striking a dramatic pose.

"Aha! If you want my body, you'll have to do better than that!" Konata grinned, standing up straight and taking a short, crisp bow.

"Yes yes, go ahead and walk on your own. I didn't want to carry you anyways." Misao made a dismissive gesture with her hand. Konata readily fell back into step alongside her girlfriend.

"You were already dressed." Konata blurted out, looking at Misao's casual outfit.

"So were you." Misao countered, glancing over Konata. If you asked her, the cargo vest and cargo pants ranked much higher in terms of formality. "You even did your hair! Liar!"

".. Well, I felt like changing it up a bit." Konata challenged. It was a white lie, because she knew it herself, and so did Misao, that she only did her hair up in a ponytail when-

"You only wear a ponytail when you're preparing to go on a date, chibi." Misao stated matter-of-factly. The slight girl huffed in annoyance. When she spoke, there was a noticable edge in her voice.

"Fine! I wanted to go on a date with you, so I dressed up. You dressed up too, so it apparently wasn't just me." Her tense body language gave away her frustration, if it wasn't clear by her speech. Surprised at the sudden change in attitude, Misao decided to lay off for a bit.

"Uh, chibi.. Sorry." Apologizing awkwardly, she glanced contritely at the smaller girl.

Fuming silently, Konata stalked ahead of her partner. _"Stupid, stupid.. Why is she so annoying?"_  
"..."

"Listen, chibi, I don't know what I did wrong. Tell me so I can make it up to you!" Misao offered, upping her pace to keep up with her girlfriend. When she caught up, her voice took on a more soothing tone. "I just want to know what's wrong so I can stop doing it. Please?"

"..." Konata stopped walking, turning to face the always lively Misao. If Misao was confused, Konata was on a whole different level. "I.. don't know."

"Eh?" Still confused, Misao turned around and looked back at the midget.  
 _"What's up with her?"_

"You didn't do anything wrong.. It's wrong of me to be mad." Konata muttered, crossing her arms and staring at the pavement. This was a moment where she was supposed to gasp and recoil in shock, but Misao resisted the thought.

"Okay then. Can I make it up to you?" Without waiting for an answer, Misao turned and lowered herself. "Here, I'll carry you!"

With a sigh, Konata complied and wrapped her arms around Misao's shoulders, feeling herself being lifted up off the ground. "Sure. Go ahead."

".. See? I knew you wanted to be carried!" With that, Misao laughed and touched the top of the bluenette's head. Konata went against her instincts, instead smiling and laughing a bit.

"Ahah.. I guess so." With that, she put away her annoyance and decided that she would enjoy the rest of the evening.

/-/

Kagami heaved a sigh and rested her head in her arms, dropping her pencil to the desk and watching it roll away lazily. It disappeared off the edge of the table, making no noise as it dropped to the carpet underfoot. She spent a minute glaring at the pencil like it would apologize and return to the table. Her efforts bore no fruit, and she muttered under her breath, pushing her chair backwards to lean down and grab the pencil.

The world decided it wasn't done, and her chair managed to topple over, bringing Kagami with it. Hitting the ground with a muffled crash, she rolled away from the fallen chair and she groaned quietly.

"Fuck.." She cursed for the first time in at least five months. Filling her lungs with air, she then let out a deep sigh, filled with traces of her mind-numbing anguish and inanition.  
 _"I'm out of it today.."_

The door to her room swung open, and Tsukasa was instantly at her sister's side, dropping down to help her to a sitting position. "Sis! Are you alright?"

"Tsukasa.." The older sister nodded her head slowly, mumbling her thanks. Her eyes never met Tsukasa's, and she just stared at the carpet on the opposite side. "Sorry to worry. You can go now, thanks."

Her sister didn't reply, but instead of leaving she sat behind Kagami, putting their backs together. Taking deep breaths, Kagami relaxed and leaned back against her sister, who did the same.

Who knows how long they sat there for each other, in silent support. All she knew was that all the melancholy and regret cooped up in her soul finally decided to give her a brief but wonderful break. It felt as if her heart was finally able to breath again.

 _".. Thank you.. Tsukasa."_


	9. Chapter 9

"So? How'd it go?"

"Good. She's really open about her feelings, just like you said!"

"I know right! If they weren't so private, I would show you some of our chats. She tells me a ton of stuff that I didn't even know about her!"

The blonde woman laughed loudly, remembering all the conversations she had with her student. "She's a good girl. Her only real flaw is that she needs a partner. I tried to get her into being a lone wolf, but did you know she actually cried when I pretended to leave her at the bar? I had to carry her home to her dad!"

Misao laughed along with the mischievous teacher, but realization smacked her in the head and she frowned. "You took her to a bar?"

"Ah, that was back around during her second year, I think. That Kagami didn't know how Izumi felt, so she went ahead and did somethin' or other. The girl thought she could leave my class after I watched her cry quietly through the whole thing, so I convinced her into joining me at the bar."

Misao sighed disapprovingly, looking at Kuroi with baleful eyes. "You're serious? Taking an underage girl to a bar.."

"It wasn't like that, she just looked so depressed! She practically jumped on me when I offered to let her join." Kuroi defended herself with a sheepish grin, knowing fully well how bad she looked right now. "She didn't get wasted or anything, I was the only one who got a drink."

"At least there's that. I hope you were as sober as you say you were." Retorted Misao, although a smirk was making its way onto her lips. She couldn't say she wasn't enjoying the story, although there was a slight feeling of worry in her mind.  
 _"Is she really safe for Konata to be around?"_

"Anyways.." Kuroi got her laughter under control, wiping the smile off her face and speaking in a more serious tone. "I'm glad that Izumi is feeling better, but don't forget. She's still emotionally fragile, no matter how _over it_ she appears."

"Ah, don't worry. Nothing gets by me! I'm quite the keen eye, Kuroi-sensei." Misao stepped back and stood at attention, her right hand making a fist over her heart and her left behind her back. She made a stiff bow. "I am also.. rather charming, if I do say so myself."

"Referencing so many at once? Now I know what she sees in you." Kuroi grinned, making a dismissive gesture at the brunette. "Shoo, go away. You have somewhere to be, right?"

/-/

Konata was humming along to what seemed to be a very fast-paced song. Her feet tapped against the pavement, and her head bobbed with the beat. This is how she was when Misao found her, leaning against the wall with her headphones on her head.

"Hey oh, chibi! I'm here!" Misao cheered, startling the distracted bluenette. Konata jumped with surprise and looked around for her girlfriend. When their eyes met, Konata smiled like she always did, reaching up to pull her headset off.

"Ah yes, I've been for you, Kusakabe-san. We have many things to talk about, so why don't you walk with me?" With a dramatic voice she beckoned Misao to her, who accepted with a wide grin.

"We shall discuss more serious matters in all due time. Izumi-sama. But for now, we shall speak of lighter topics over tea." She followed the otaku's lead without hesitation or error, a perfect actor from her voice to her body language. The only thing that tipped off the act was the smile on her face.

Konata's own smile grew, but she didn't say anything as the two walked side-by-side on the path.

After a couple minutes of atmospheric silence, Misao shouted and pointed across the street. "Hey, look at that!" Following her friend's eyes, Konata saw what had caught the brunette's attention.

"Hey chibi, let's go say hi! Maybe we can get some free cake!" Once the short girl nodded, Misao grabbed her hand and pulled her in the direction of their other friends.

/-/

Miyuki set her plate down on the table and sat down with a smile to her other friends, who had already started eating.

"I apologize for being late. I dropped my glasses in the washroom and I was scared to moved for a while.." She made a sheepish smile, and friendly laughter filled the air.

"No problem, you don't even need to apologize. I would be afraid to move if I were in your situation." Ayano smiled at the meganneko, who smiled back. "It's even worse with contacts. If you drop them, they're really hard to find, and they break so easily."

"And then you have to wash them and everything before you can actually put them back in.." Tsukasa nodded. "Having contacts must be a pain!"

"There is that, but I'm just nervous about putting anything in my eyes." Poking one of the many miniature cakes on her plate, she picked it up and placed it in her mouth, savoring the sweetness.

"Miyuki, you didn't get very many compared to the rest of us!" Kagami pointed out. Her face had a guilty look as she noticed how stacked her plate was.  
 _"I have the most out of everyone.."_

"Yes.. I came here with my mother once, and I got too many cakes. I felt terrible about the waste of food, so I always make sure to get only a couple cakes at a time. I don't want to end up wasting money or food." She explained her reasoning, not sure why most of her friends looked so surprised.

"You have a lot of self-control, Miyuki-san!" Tsukasa marveled, looking at her friend's plate with admiring eyes. "Everytime we come here, we end up getting too much cake and having to pay the leftovers fee.. We always say that we'll be better next time, but it never happens!"

"It's hard to resist the temptation to get a lot of cakes, especially because they're so small that you feel like you could eat a lot of them." Ayano reasoned, looking at a particular cake on her plate. "Isn't it strange the way that you want to get something aesthetically pleasing, but then you don't want to eat it? I feel like I'm ruining the beauty sometimes.."

Everyone nodded in agreement, eying the multitude of delicious looking cakes in front of them. The cakes were almost too beautiful to eat. Almost.

/-/

Misao bounded up to the table with Konata in tow. With a smile on her face and in her eyes, she threw her arms around Ayano's shoulders, hugging her tightly and ignoring the frightened yelp.

"Hi Aya-chan! Hello other people!" Misao called out cheerfully. Ayano was rather scared until she recognized the voice.

"Oh, Misa-chan.. You almost gave me a heart attack!" Ayano turned around, chiding her best friend half-heartedly. She smiled anyways, now that she knew she wasn't being attacked. "I didn't expect to see you here, or Kona-chan either."

Konata had gone unnoticed until she was brought to light by Ayano. The rest of the group turned their eyes from Misao and Ayano to her. Without missing a beat, Konata grinned and greeted the rest of her friends.

"Fancy meeting you here, temperature twins and glasses girl." Her cryptic greeting raised an eyebrow from the elder of the _temperature twins_.

"What do you mean by that?" Kagami questioned, a thoughtful frown already on her face.

"Oh, you know. It's funny how you two look so alike, but your personalities are polar opposites. I'm not sure who's who though, because of you." Konata grinned, looking directly at the girl with twintails. "Would you prefer to be the one with the fiery temper, or the cold shoulder? The only thing is, Tsukasa doesn't seem to fit into either one.."

"Maybe that's because you picked a terrible phrase to describe us." Kagami snorted then smirked at Konata. "And to answer your question, I wouldn't like to be either of those."

"Quite a coincidence meeting you here. It's a small world after all." Miyuki changed the topic before things could get confusing or heated. "What are you two doing here, if you don't mind me asking?"

Konata transferred her attention to the pink-haired girl, the feline grin never leaving her face. "Ah.. ever so polite, even in the company of friends. Always the lady, Miyuki-sama.

"Misao is the one who dragged me over here. Speaking of our reason for being here, would you be so kind as to part with a cake or two? If you can feed her, it'll save me a handful of yen."

"You can have one of mine, Misa-chan!" Tsukasa offered, sliding her plate across the table. Misao's golden eyes lit up, and she scanned the array of cakes happily.

"Really? Thanks! Can I have all of it?" Misao grinned playfully. She detached herself from Ayano's shoulders, beckoning Konata to come closer. "Hey chibi, help me pick one out."

Konata complied, walking over and glancing down at the plate of confectioneries.

"They all look pretty good."

"Which one do you like?" She asked casually.

"Hm.. I would go for that one." Konata pointed at a piece of cake, cut in a perfect cube with a shining, glossy topping.

"Alright!" Smiling sweetly, Misao reached out to carefully pick up the cake.

Her mind spaced out for a moment as Misao picked out the cake she wanted, holding it up to watch the light reflect off the layer of glaze. Konata realized after a moment that several pairs of eyes were on her, most noticably two shining golden orbs.

"Chibi~! Open up!" Misao coaxed, her voice imbued with sweetness. Her protruding fang was visible in the corner of her mouth as she grinned roguishly.

"Uh, no thanks.. It's alright." Politely denying the offer, Konata intuitively leaned backwards as Misao's face came closer.

"Just one bite, chibi! I know you wanna try this one!" Misao pleaded, holding the treat up to Konata's mouth. "Please." She added as an afterthought.

".. Okay.." Giving into the offer, Konata stopped backing away. Reluctantly, she opened her mouth and bit into the cake that Misao was holding.

Kagami watched the entire interaction between the two. Her face remained neutral, showing neither positive nor negative feelings towards her childhood friend and..

She wasn't really sure how to describe Konata. Somehow the words _best friend_ and _highschool friend_ felt inappropriate for the situation; using something like _highschool sweetheart_ or _ex girlfriend_ made it feel like she had already given up on their relationship.

Kagami didn't want to give up on Konata. But no matter how much as her heart longed for the girl, as much as her body sought after her touch, her mind was already moving on. That girl used to be on Kagami's mind all the time, pretty much becoming a part of her reasoning and becoming a driving force behind her actions. Now it was starting to revert to how it had been before, all the way before they started to date.

Konata was becoming less and less of a presence onboard Kagami's train of thought. Lately she had realized this, and she was shocked at how much she had changed without her own knowing. It was like their time together had never happened. She could stand to be near Konata and act somewhat naturally. She was free of the plague called desire.. but not safe from the spears of regret.

Noticing how close they were standing, Kagami finally smiled. No longer did she have a problem with the relationship between the two.

 _"Well.. We all want the best for her, and that includes me.._  
 _"So as long as Konata has someone to keep her happy, I can't complain."_

Although she had finally come to terms with her feelings, Kagami's heart missed a beat when she noticed the way Konata's emerald eyes shined, and the streak of pink tinting her cheeks.

 _"I can't complain.."_


	10. Chapter 10

"That was fun!"

"Was that part with the cake really necessary?"

"No, but it was fun!"

"Pushy."

Their back and forth continued as they walked around the city. Together, they laughed at every joke, countered tease with tease, and Misao had just about forgotten where they were. She was startled out of her daydream when her companion grabbed her by the arm, pulling her out of the way of an elderly lady, who smiled and nodded her thanks as she hobbled past.

"Careful."

"Thanks chibi! Glad to see you're watching out for me!"

"Nah. I just don't feel like apologizing for something you did."

"Heartless! My girlfriend cares not for my feelings!"

Konata grinned like she always did, neither denying nor agreeing to the claim. She allowed Misao to take the lead once again before falling into step beside her and asking her question.

"Where are we going, by the way?"

"Eh? Oh, uh.. .. Well, I forgot."

"Really?" Konata's tone of disappointment, albeit exaggerated, had the right effect.

"Sorry, sorry.. But I know where it is, don't worry about it!"

Konata huffed, but she followed her friend with a smile.

 _"She makes things fun.. Can't argue with that!"_

"Actually, I was planning to go to a restaurant but it's still that time between lunch and dinner time.. So, uh, I don't actually know what we should do."

Her sheepish confession was met by Konata's still-processing face. Misao smiled embarrassedly as she was stared down, her expression and projecting fang looking exactly like what Konata had imagined it would be like.

"Yeah, thought so. I'll take over until dinner, but you're treating me as compensation."

/-/

Once the sun was finally starting to swim towards the horizon, Konata found herself sitting next to Misao in a restaurant booth seat, the ones with the smooth, refined-looking cushions.

"So, explain to me why you won't let me use the other pair of chopsticks?" She asked again, disbelief still present in her question. Misao raised an eyebrow and smiled innocently.

"Because you're my girlfriend, and that means I should share stuff with you."

"I think you're taking that out of context."

"Whatever. It's fine!"

The brunette had absolutely _insisted_ on using only one set of tableware. Konata really didn't understand why Misao was so insistent, but she argued a bit anyways for the sake of it.

"Open up!" Misao's voice sliced through her thoughts, and Konata turned to her with a pout.

"I can feed myself, thank you very much."

Misao picked up one of the pieces of sushi in the middle of the table and she moved it towards Konata's mouth.

".. Pushy." Konata muttered, rolling her eyes in exasperation. With a reluctant pout she allowed Misao to place the food in her mouth.

"See? You're so cute!" Resisting the temptation of kissing her lover, Misao settled for hugging the blue-haired head.

Chatting on about whatever came to mind, they exchanged witty remarks and questions, making up for the years they had practically ignored each other.

"We should've got to known each other earlier. If I knew you were this cool, I would've introduced myself as soon as the first year!" Misao cheered, only partially exaggerating.

"Too bad Kagami kept leaving you two behind. Tsunderes are so cruel at times, it breaks one's heart, huh?"

"It still hurts, all those broken hearts I got from her!" Misao clutched at her chest theatrically. Suddenly a question popped into Konata's consciousness, and she felt a a burning desire for an answer.

"Misao.. Do you like Kagami?"

".. Hm?" Misao glanced at the otaku, who stared back at her with querying eyes. Her face showed no reaction to the question until it sank in, and her eyes widened minutely in surprise.

"Hiiragi? As a friend, or like, love like?" She had been about to laugh it off as a joke, but that serious part of her brain told her to confirm the meaning of the rather personal question first.

"I know you guys are friends." Konata stated, indirectly answering the question. Slightly taken aback although she had completely expected the response, Misao pursed her lips and put a finger under her chin.

"Well, I don't know what to say about my.. lifestyle. I guess it's only certain people, not really a gender tag or anything like that.

"I've known Hiiragi forever, like primary school or before that. She was still pretty cold back then, but she stuck with me even though we both knew that I bugged her sometimes."

 _"Sounds like just how Kagami and I are.."_ Konata felt a sense of deja vu at the similar treatment they had both received from the tsundere. _"She never changed, huh?"_

"I might've started liking her around, maybe, a couple years ago? I just knew that around the time high school rolled around and she started to ignore us, I had enough feelings for her that I would get sort of jealous and depressed that she wanted to be with your group instead of us. I mean she's known us for a lifetime, and she just up and leaves without a proper explanation after meeting you guys for a week? Whatever happened to loyalty, eh?"

Her mouth ran on, momentum building up as she poured out her story, her memories. Sincerity and heartfelt emotion weren't common in the brunette's attitude, but that didn't mean she didn't feel it. All of those pent-up feelings, held back for years and years, were suffused into the words she spoke, heard only by herself and a girl she knew she could trust.

"I dunno if Aya-chan noticed. She never really made a big deal out of it if she did, so she either didn't notice or didn't say anything. To be honest I can't tell if I was acting out or anything, because most of the time I do things without thinking about it. I didn't pick up any of that cliche _surprising myself with my own words_ stuff."

"Do you still like her? Kagami, I mean? Like, right now, do you still.. have feelings.." Konata trailed off distractedly. She had to know. She just had to. Her unabating aspiration to find out- Was Misao in love with Kagami?

"Mm.." Finding something outside the windows to focus on, Misao's golden eyes were over Konata's head of blue hair. She closed her eyes, opened them, closed them again. It was obvious that she was thinking about it deeply.

"..." Misao kept thinking.

"..." Konata kept waiting.

".. Well.."

"..." Konata felt her heart leap into her throat, knowing that her answer was right around the corner. Seconds passed, moments, then Misao opened her eyes and gazed directly into Konata's, gold meeting emerald.

".. Yeah. I still like her." Misao stated, not a trace of doubt within her.

Willing herself not to panic immediately, Konata stared up at Misao, seeing the swirls of resolute determination in the golden eyes, and maybe even a willingness to defend herself. The bluenette's thin lips were drawn into a line, but her neutral expression was betrayed by the conflict plain in her eyes.

 _"Why am I.. normal? Shouldn't I be feeling something? Anything? What am I supposed to be thinking right now? Is there a reason that my mind is so clear?"_

"Wasn't that the part where you get all shocked and sad and crying and stuff?"

"Huh.. I don't know."

"Do _you_ still like her? Hiiragi?"

"I.. I.. d-don't know.."

Hearing her own voice breaking with emotions, something that happened only two other times in her life. Feeling her own heartbeat, her pulse not quicker nor slower than it always was, yet every throbbing beat felt like a blow. Seeing the tears spring to her eyes, even though she felt no physical pain.

Konata didn't know why all these things happened, but she just wanted them to stop. Her eyes watered, her chest hurt, her mouth was dry, she just wanted to escape from these stupid emotions and reload a previous save.

There was nothing to escape from, nothing she could escape from. Her feelings were part of her and Misao was sitting next to her, trapping her against the window. Konata couldn't just apparate away with a flick of her wand. She couldn't withdraw into virtual reality with two words. She especially couldn't alter the flow of time to put her emotions in check.

All she could do was close her mouth to hold in her sobs, close her eyes to stop the flow of tears, and put her hands over her chest in a hopeless attempt to slow down the pain inflicting her being.

"Chibi, are you okay?" Misao's face twisted into one of concern, and she put an arm around the midget's shoulders. "Come on, don't cry on me girl!"

Shaking her head vehemently and gripped her hands into a fist Konata appeared to resent the contact, but after a couple minutes of silence and shaking she found herself relaxing into her friend's embrace.

"M-Mi..sao.." Making an attempt at words, her voice died out on her and she immediately clamped her mouth closed and fell back into silence. Her companion just squeezed her gently, holding her comfortingly as the girl struggled.

 _"I can't really help right now, huh.. I don't like doing nothing, but.."_

"I.. like you, but.. I still l-like her.." Konata mumbled, a hushed whisper the only thing that allowed her to speak without failure. "I know it's wrong, but I can't get over it.."

"It's not wrong that you still like her! Having a fight or even breaking up won't completely erase your feelings for someone." Misao spoke up, her voice steeped with passion. "You can't just forget about someone like that, and if you do then something is wrong with you. You should still care about them, no matter what happens. Just because you had one stupid argument, just because you think you hate them, you still have feelings for them and you can't escape that. Of all people, you should know this."

"I.. nn.." Konata started to speak, but her words fell apart the second they left her lips. Trying again.. ".. sorry.."

"Don't be sorry, nothing to apologize for. Just because you hit yourself in your confusion, doesn't mean that the battle is over already." Misao grinned, placing her hand on Konata's head and running it along her hair, tracing down her back. The girl visibly relaxed and her trembling quelled a bit. "I'll be here, don't worry. Get your feelings in check and try again. I would save some sushi for you, but if it starts to get cold.."

Misao chuckled soberly, a far cry from her typical abundance of energy. She understood that there were times for coming down from her cloud, times where being sensitive was important. This was one of those times, and she realized it.

 _"I'm not very good at this whole sentimental thing, but I need to make sure that Chibi knows I'm here for her! Something like that!"_

Arms still wrapped around her shivering blue-haired friend, Misao stole a glance at the almost uneaten food on their table. Her eyes lit up.

"Want me to feed you?"

Finally, the pain in her heart relented. Konata felt lighter, giggling quietly. Caution to the wind she released her tension, letting her shoulders fall and her fists unclench. Without warning she wrapped her arms around the taller girl's waist, pressing herself into the warm body.

".. Pushy." She smiled.


	11. Chapter 11

The quiet ambience of the classroom was perfect for helping sleep find its way to those who sought for it. At least, that's what it felt like to Konata, who had long since placed her head in her arms and let her eyes rest.

She must have fallen into a deep sleep, because waking up seemed to be a hundred times harder this time around.

"Kona.. Kona-chan.. wake up."

"Nn.."

Her eyes still wouldn't open, but she could imagine Tsukasa's soft face and gentle voice in her mind. For some reason, the haze of sleep was thick enough to even blur the images she conjured in her mind.

"Konata-san? Are you feeling unwell?"

"Hey, chibi! Are you tired?"

Those voices weren't difficult to identify. Miyuki was the only one who hadn't dropped the _san_ from her name out of respect, and it wasn't like there was another person who used the nickname _chibi_ in that affectionate manner.

Kuroi watched as the group of girls attempted to rouse their friend, creating a cloud of worry and curiosity. It was all she could do to stay seated instead of rushing over to see if her student was okay.

 _"Just how tired is she? It's not like she was playing the MMO yesterday.. She hasn't logged in for a day or two, actually.."_

She took another glance at the still ball of blue hair.

"Forget this.."

Muttering to herself, she pushed her chair back from her desk, standing up and making her way towards the girls. The distinct sound of her shoes against the floor alerted the students of her approach, and the girls exchanged glances before stepping aside without a word.

" _Oi_ , Izumi! Were you online all night?"

"Huh.. Online?"

The response was questionable, for someone of Konata's standards. Whenever Kuroi had to wake her up, she expected and received the same response: Instantaneous wakefulness along with the regular burst of energy. Not this slow return of consciousness..

"Oh.. No Sensei, I wasn't gaming."

"That's what worries me. What were you up to last night?"

"..."

Konata lifted her head from her arms, making an attempt to sit up straight. She yawned sleepily, dropping her chin to her chest as if trying to hide it. Her eyes were still closed as she nodded absently, which was the only sign that she may have heard the question; She didn't reply if she did.

Turning to the onlookers, all Kuroi did was raise her eyebrows. It was the universal sign of _Explanation, now_ , but nobody honestly knew what the issue was.

"What's up with her? Normally she's a light sleeper." Kuroi motioned towards her student. Tsukasa watched her friend's head loll forwards and snap back up.

"I don't know.. Kona-chan has never slept through the lunch bell. Every day she wakes up when it rings, and sometimes right before it does."

"Oh, so she falls asleep in my class **every day** , eh?" Kuroi muttered menacingly.

"Does Kona-chan usually go to sleep late?" Having been quiet for most of the conversation, Ayano turned to the glasses-wearing girl standing beside her.

"Yes. I'm not exactly sure when she goes to sleep, but from what I've heard she normally stays up to an hour or two past midnight."

While they talked to each other about Konata's sleeping habits and such, Misao broke away and stood behind the subject girl.

"Hey, hey.. Chibi? Are you sleepy? You should find somewhere better to sleep. Desks aren't that comfortable, trust me because I know."

"Misao.. I'm fine."

Clearly making an effort to keep herself awake, Konata lifted her arms above her head, leaning backwards over her chair. She opened her eyes to see Misao, who was alarmingly close and upside down.

"Come on, don't lie to me! I can see right through you!" Contrasting her patronizing words with a grin, the brunette put her hands under the otaku's head, pushing Konata into a regular sitting position before resting her arms on top of the bundle of blue hair.  
"Come on, aren't you going to eat lunch?"

"Eh? Lunch?" Konata's eyebrows went up in surprise as she looked towards the clock. "Already.."

"Eh? Lunch!" Misao repeated the words with cheer instead of surprise. "Already! Come on, you won't have time if you just sit around."

"It's fine, it's fine.. I don't eat a lot, unlike a certain purple-haired tsundere with blue eyes." With a wide grin, Konata looked at anyone except for the _purple-haired tsundere with blue eyes_ , as she had so vividly described.

"Was your goal to avoid getting noticed, or to get my attention?" Kagami frowned at the feigned act of innocence. "And don't try to turn it around, you're the one who should eat more."

Misao watched as the bluenette leaned down and dug through her bag, and she eventually pulled out with a wrapped pastry in hand.

"I don't actually _need_ to eat more. This is enough for me." Konata held up her lunch, although it was definitely below the bare minimum of what could be considered to be healthy.

"Kagami-san does have a point. If you lack the proper nutrition and don't consume the right types of food, it could have effects on your physical status- your body, I mean." Seeing an opportunity to join in the conversation for at least a couple lines, Miyuki received a grateful smile from the girl she had defended.

"Oh? What kind of effects?" Konata asked curiously. "Eating less means you gain less weight, right? That's why I'm so skinny."

"Well.. you aren't exactly wrong, but I think you're looking at it from a different angle than most." Clearing her throat, Miyuki inhaled in preparation for one of her trademark intellectual explanations.

"While eating less food can decrease your weight gain, the detrimental effects can outweigh the benefits. As an example, you typically eat a chocolate cornet for lunch. Compare that to what is considered a regular meal by most, like Kagami-san's bento box. When you analyze the two from a technical standpoint, you might lose more weight from eating the chocolate cornet, but you'll also lose a lot of valuable nutrition. It'd be better if you eat the bento and then turn to other methods to lose the excess weight, such as exercise or cutting back on snacks."

Exhaling with relief, Miyuki hung her head and fixed her glasses. Being the center of attention was a double-edged sword; She was both proud and embarrassed to be in the spotlight.

"Whoa, that sounded **really** smart!" Misao stared reverently at the glasses-girl, who smiled bashfully as she sat down again.

"That's because she **is** smart, Misa-chan." Ayano gently reminded her friend.

"Yes, _Misakichi_. Yuki-chan is unrivalled in both intelligence **and** moe." Taking on an analyst's pose with a hand on her chin and the other on her elbow, Konata spoke in a dramatic tone of voice that was obviously tribute to some anime she had watched.

"Misakichi? You haven't used that nickname for her since that one.. uh.." Kagami let her voice trail off. The last time she had heard the nickname Misakichi was in her-

"Oh, in your dream?" Ever the antagonist, Konata put her hands on the table and leaned forwards with a smile that would change the mind of the devil himself.

"W-what? I never said anything about a dream!" Hastily defending herself, she then rolled her eyes and turned away to hide the light pink tinting her cheeks.

"That doesn't matter, your reaction is enough.. You do dream about me! And Misao too!"

"N.. eh? Is it Misao or Misakichi?"

Changing the subject allowed Kagami to simultaneously evade the question and get an answer to a detail that legitimately interested her. She waited as the still-smiling otaku sat back in her seat to explain.

"Oh, I called her that before. It's like how she's always called me chibi."

"How come you stopped calling her that?"

"We talked about it for a bit, then decided to start over. There was no real reason to dislike each other, so we agreed to reintroduce ourselves so we wouldn't have to build our relationship up from below zero. It's like restarting a game because you haven't been doing so well!"

"That's.. really mature, actually. How come you aren't this good about school?"

"Do I really need to answer that question?"

It didn't take long for Konata to finish her chocolate cornet. The pastry left her mouth with a sweet residue and an odd feeling of guilt. Lunch continued, and so did the chatter.

/-/

After about four eternities, Konata heard the final bell ring through the recurrent fog of fatigue that had just recently started to follow her everywhere. Her head rose from its cradle in her arms, and she blinked the sleep out of her eyes.

"Kona-chan, it's time to go." Tsukasa's gentle voice cleared away the last of the mental stupor that had settled over the otaku's head. "Come on, let's go."

Konata stood from her seat with the help of the younger girl, grabbing the offered hand to be pulled along towards the door. Before she was through the door, the voice of her teacher reached her ears.

"Izumi! I don't know why you were so tired today, but you can't hide it from me. Get some rest, I want your eyes wide open tomorrow! Got it?"

"Yes, teach.."

"What was that?!"

"Yes, teach!"

"Alright, then. Enjoy your day, but get some sleep for the love of Senia."

"Yes teach.."

The conversation was heavily one-sided, and they both realized this. The blonde just sighed as her student left the room without the spring in her step that Kuroi had been trying to give her.

"Izumi.. what's wrong with you, girl? I'm supposed to be the one having problems with life and romance!"


	12. Chapter 12

A large yawn escaped from Konata as she stared down at her lap with half-closed eyes. She pursed her lips and took a deep breath, allowing her hands to move on their own. They seemed to dance across the keyboard spontaneously, but Konata knew exactly what she was doing.

As an avid player of the MMO genre, she was familiar and acquainted to using rotations. Basically, all she had to do was memorize her skill hotkeys, the order she used them in, and the cooldown. From there, it was just up to her ability to repeat the combo over and over until the enemy died. Although it didn't guarantee victory, it did allow her to look away from the game screen and multi-task while she chipped away at the health bars of her enemies.

Her health points dropped into a dangerous level, but there was no reaction from the gamer. She was completely lost in her own consciousness, her eyes directed downwards between the gap in her legs and at the chair she was sitting on. She was thinking about everything but the flashing monitor in front of her, the only thing keeping her avatar alive was her extreme and unorthodox familiarity with her rotation. Since Konata had a passive effect allowing her to drain health, she _usually_ didn't need to pay attention to the game..

Her thoughts were disturbed by the familiar yet still unnatural feeling of death. The disconcertion of meeting your virtual end in battle shocked her out of her state of distraction, and Konata straightened up with her eyes wide as the sound of combat was interrupted by a sharp and imposing reverberation.

"Wha?! Oh, I actually died. Wow. Must be tired or something, haha.. damn, that practically undid all the grinding I've done for most of today and yesterday.. Time to start over. Haha.."

Konata muttered to herself as she clicked the button that would revive her at the closest town, and she sank down in her chair, finding a comfortable position. She inhaled deeply, releasing a puff of air that left her feeling refreshed, but not completely.

She went about her business in town, clicking here and going there, repairing gear and selling items, then proceeded to return to her death point. For a couple minutes, her eyes were actually focused on the computer screen as she actively maintained her character's status and handled the user interfaces with ease.

After a couple more minutes, she was idly grinding monsters with her typical patternized button-mashing. It seemed like one moment everything was going smoothly, but the next she was met by the increasingly common face of death. Once again she shot upright in her seat, her startled green eyes widened in surprise. Without her knowing, she had slipped into the same half-asleep state as before, with the same results. It had taken her two deaths, but Konata finally smiled as she realized that- in terms of her current attention span- she was **out of it** today.

"Hm.. What's up with that? Second death in a short period of time.. Maybe this is what Kagami meant by sleep deprivation and otaku disease? Heheh.. Huh.."

She chuckled at her own joke, but her laughter trailed off as confusion revealed its presence in her mind. Something didn't click right. Confusion turned into annoyance, but that annoyance quickly disappeared. Whatever it was that bothered her wasn't aggravating her, but it was more like something was just.. there, but not there.

It was sort of like how the gifted characters in anime would sense a presence and turn around, finding themselves face to face with a mysterious figure, only for the person to vanish moments after. She wasn't sure what the presence she felt was, and she wasn't sure who or what the mysterious figure was, but Konata felt exactly like that at the moment.

Suddenly, the fatigue that had come over her during school returned with a vengeance, and she had the urge to lay down.

Konata filled her lungs with air and exhaled slowly. Then she did it again. And again. She did so for nearly five minutes; five boring minutes of breathing, just inhaling and exhaling, a practice that had become natural to her through many years of use.

 _"Nope.. mind's clear but I'm still tired.."_

And with the lack of success from her miniature meditation session, Konata disengaged herself from her computer and stood up from her chair, clasping her hands together and stretching her arms out in front, then behind. After doing so, she made her way to her bed. Instead of just dropping onto her bed and rolling into a comfortable position, she found herself almost subconsciously pulling back the covers and sliding herself underneath the cool blanket.

 _"Maybe a little nap to clear the mind. I could even try to go to bed early.. It's only one o'clock right now, so it's not too late for that idea.."_

/-/

Sojiro rolled his neck in a circle in an attempt to clear away the ache from sitting hunch-backed for a long period of time. With a satisfied grunt, he saved the document he was working on and closed it out.

"There's everything that I need to do for today. Maybe I can finally get some progress done on that visual novel, eh?"

He chuckled to himself as he slowly stood from his computer chair, putting his hands on top of his head. He looked out the window, noting the blanket of darkness that engulfed the sky. Not a star was to be seen, but the moon cast an eerie yet calming aura over the cosmos. He smiled at the sight, for he had always felt a sense of endearment to the nocturnal environs.

With his traditional _gaze out of the window and admire the night sky_ out of the way, the elder otaku left his room with intentions of getting something revitalizing to drink before settling down to game. Before he descended the stairs, the light coming from his daughter's room caught his eye.

"Mm.. Konata's still awake?"

It was more of a statement than a question, but he realized how strange that sounded coming from him, about his daughter.

"Ah, nevermind. I guess she takes after me.. gets things done in the middle of the night, that's my girl. Heheh.. that actually sounded really _really_ wrong.."

He smirked to himself as he poured himself a glass of sweet sake, just enough to keep him going until he turned in. He idly looked at the clock hanging on the wall of his living room, but he didn't register it until he had finished drinking.

 _"Huh? It's already three-thirty in the morning.. I really got carried away with that last piece."_

Sojiro mentally chided himself on the failure of his internal clock, although he knew he had never been big on punctuality in his life, except for when something important was going on.

 _"Actually, Konata is usually sleeping by three.. Is she still awake?"_

Putting his late-night _gaming_ session on hold, he walked back up the stairs and stopped in front of Konata's closed door, noticing the light that still shined from the bottom of the door.

"Hey, Konata? Still awake?"

He called out to his daughter, going silent as he waited for a reply. He heard shuffling from within the room, followed by a short silence. After another couple of seconds, he heard his daughter's response.

"Y-yeah, I'm still up.."

"Don't you normally go to bed earlier? I mean, I'm indifferent to when you go to bed, but I'm allowed to be concerned about your sleeping habits. I know you're used to pulling all-nighters, but if you do it everyday you'll put your health at risk."

There was another pause. He heard the soft sound of footsteps, and the door swung open slowly to reveal his daughter, who seemed uncharacteristically disheveled.

"I know, I know.. Thanks for the warning, dad, I'll be careful about it. I couldn't focus so I tried to take a little nap, but I couldn't really get to sleep. Maybe I should turn the lights off, haha.. I mean, if I plan to wake up before two, it won't do for me to lie around for an hour. It's not productive, you know what I'm sayin'?"

"I know what you're saying, but it's three-thirty right now.."

".. Uh?"

Konata stared at him for a moment before she spun around, targeting the clock on her wall.

"O-oh. Haha.. guess I sort of lost track of time. I should get to bed now, so.. see you in the morning! G'night dad!"

His daughter closed the door and he heard the click of the locking mechanism. The sound of footsteps, then the click of the lights going off, then more footsteps. Sojiro frowned as he hesitantly walked away from the door.

 _"Her behavior doesn't point at depression, but.. Then again, Konata really has bounced back from a lot of things.. She doesn't seem like she wants to talk right now. I'll ask her about it tomorrow."_

/-/

The next morning, two out of three members were greeted by a simple but inviting spread of food after they had dragged themselves down the stairs.

"Oh, Konata. Thanks for making breakfast."

"That's not for you, it's only for Yutaka and me! Shoo, shoo, find something else to eat."

Konata looked at her father with her eyebrows drawn together, waving her hand at him dismissively. He laughed, taking the joke as her definition of a good morning.

Their meal went by quickly, with Yutaka being the first one to finish. The tiny girl said her thank you before rushing her plates over to the sink, proceeding to run up the stairs, down the stairs, then out the door in a hurry.

"What's she up to?" Sojiro raised an eyebrow at his niece had been sitting at the table one minute, then already outside the next.

"Oh, probably a date with Minami or something. You know, yuri probably runs in the family!" Konata shrugged.

"Ah.. Just because you and your friends might think so doesn't automatically make her the same way." He tilted his head to the side, slightly disapproving of the idea. Only slightly.  
"Anyways, you've been seeming a bit off recently. You know. Distracted, tired, not really paying attention. Anything wrong? I'm your dad, so it's okay for me to ask about these things and it's okay for you to tell me."

His daughter stared at him unmoving. She blinked and shrugged her shoulders again.

"I dunno. Maybe it's just me being tired or something. I'll just go to bed earlier, it's probably nothing though. Thanks for telling me about it. I'm gonna get ready for school, and I'll be back later than usual. See you!"

Konata nodded, more to herself than to her dad, as she cleaned up her place at the table. She didn't say anything more on the matter, leaving Sojiro to his own thoughts.

 _"I really wish she would tell me more.. I guess this is one of those situations where a girl needs her friends instead of her family.. I'm her father, it can't be that big of a deal, right?"_

/-/

School was uneventful, just another dull six hours for Konata to add to her pile of _boring things that had happened to her_. The pile consisted mostly of school, but hey, that didn't make it any less boring.

The automated bell blared from the public address system, signifying the end of the school day.

"Alright! You know what to do for homework tonight! And if you don't, well, ask anyone but Izumi over there. She's the last person you want to rely on!"

Kuroi grinned, giving herself a point for the expression on her student's face. Konata's pout relented into a smile as she waved her goodbye and made her way towards the door, purposely ignoring the invitation to trade insults.

"Chibizumi!" Misao greeted as she intercepted Konata as soon as the girl had left her classroom. She hugged Konata's head, not making an effort to go any lower.

"Hey, I can't see. Move your hands!" Konata protested, aware that they were standing in the middle of the doorway, stopping the passage of the other students trying to get out. She managed to pull Misao aside and free herself from the hug.

"Oh yeah, did you have anywhere you wanted to go today? Or are you just going to drag me around to random places as usual?" The brunette queried innocently, ignoring the fact that it was normally she who did the dragging.

"I don't _drag_ you anywhere! Also, I was planning to go to Gamer's to check for any new shipments. After that, we can go wherever." Konata stated, getting a nod of approval from her friend.

"Sounds fine, I can deal with Gamer's! Maybe I'll buy something, too. A game or something.."

Kagami appeared in the hallway behind Misao and Konata, having just left her class. Ayano followed closely behind her.

"Hello Kagami-san, Ayano-san." Miyuki turned towards them and smiled amicably.

"Hello Miyuki-san." A small smile formed on Ayano's lips as she returned the greeting.

"Hey guys! How's it going?" Kagami automatically fell into place right beside Tsukasa, who was standing at Miyuki's side.  
"Did you guys want to do anything today? We don't have a lot of homework, so we can afford to hang out for most of today."

"We should go shopping, sis! It's been a little while since the last time, and we'll probably find some things we want. I need to pick up some groceries for dinner tonight, anyways.." Tsukasa squinted at the sudden transition from the sheltered hallway into the sunny outdoors. The door closed behind the girls as they stepped out onto the paved stones.

"That isn't a bad idea. I don't believe I've actually gone shopping with any of you before. I have a habit to window shop though, so excuse me if I wander off.." Ayano smiled sheepishly.

"Don't worry, Tsukasa here is prone to window shopping. If anything, we'll have to look for her first!" Kagami smirked, placing a hand on her sister's head to show that she meant no harm.

Once they got to the iron gates of the school grounds, it became apparent that two of theirs were missing.

"Huh.. hold on.. Where's Konata and Misao?" Kagami wondered aloud, having just noticed that the brown and blue hair of her friends weren't to anywhere to be seen.

"Konata-san and Misao-san just went the opposite direction. Earlier, they were talking about heading to Gamer's, so that's probably their destination."

"Ah.. Alright then." Kagami nodded slowly.  
"Guess that's the last we'll be seeing of them for today, huh..?"


	13. Chapter 13

"Hey, hey! I found this, I think you'll like it!"

Misao looked to her left, but the owner of the voice wasn't there. Footsteps sounded behind her, and a presence appeared on her right, tugging on her arm.

"Huh? What is it?" Misao asked interestedly as she turned around, but her face fell when she saw the cover.  
"Oh.. Ohhh.. Uh, no thanks.."

"I know how you **love** yaoi!" Konata cheered loudly enough to garner attention, thrusting the book at her friend.  
"Come on, you know you wanna add this one to your secret stash!"

Misao grimaced as she hesitantly accepted the paperback, taking another glance at the cover.

"I really don't.."

"Hmm?"

The brunette held the manga back out, giving it back to Konata. Misao didn't want to hurt the otaku's feelings or anything, but she really wasn't into yaoi. It was the one thing that she probably avoided while making her selections.

"Sorry, but I don't want this. Just because I'm bi doesn't mean that this stuff actually.. interests.. me."

".. Oh! Haha, sorry. My bad. I was thinking of Kagami, woops, she loves yaoi! I guess I'll go put this back, because I'm only semi-interested in it. Not as much as her, even though she never admits it."

The bluenette wandered off to go return the manga to whatever shelf it had been on originally. Misao stared after her, slightly perplexed as to what was going on through the girl's mind.

 _"Huh.. She came here with Hiiragi a lot, then. Didn't I already tell her that I don't like yaoi? I remember telling her about that at some point."_

"Eh, it was probably just a slip-up. Maybe I look like Hiiragi from a distance." Misao concluded. She chuckled at how random and absurd her second statement was.  
"Yeah, I totally look like her. Wonder how that came to mind."

Misao continued to browse the shelves in search of something to buy, for she needed at least a couple new boredom killers to last her through the week. A colorful cover popped out at her, and her eyes lit up as she reached up to take it from the shelf.

"This'll do. Looks cool." She turned and made her way up to the register, where her friend was finishing up.

"Mm? Oh, that's a good one. I've read it a couple times, it's pretty interesting."

Konata went on to explain some of the genre tags and other aspects about the manga. Misao listened intently, nodding and interjecting every now and then. They left the store going back and forth on the subject of art styles and whatever else came to mind.

"As much as I hate to interrupt this legitimately interesting conversation about the finer details of _mangakas_ and lines, where are we going?" Misao cut in, hoping they hadn't gotten lost while they had walked aimlessly.

"You underestimate me, _genki_. Come on, curb your energy and look around, this is where I've led us."

Misao did so. It was a shopping street, one that she didn't usually visit. The street seemed popular, but there weren't so many people as to make it impossible to navigate. Buildings with all sorts of purposes surrounded them: restaurants, stores, services. It was a typical sight in Japan, one that instilled a feeling of freedom for Misao.

"What about it? You aren't planning on taking me over there, are you?" She pointed at the covert door of a building wedged between two others. The _kanji_ on the sign were too small to make out from a distance, but Konata didn't care to approach to read to read it.

"I don't know what you're talking about! Anyways, let's go find something to do." Konata changed the subject.

"But this door looks so promising! We should go over there, Chibi! Looks like fun!" Misao pleaded, masking her grin with what was supposed to be a pout. She'd never tried one of those before, and it looked like she needed practice.

"No."

Konata dragged Misao away until the building was out of view. The energetic golden eyes immediately lit up when she took another cursory look around.

"Whoa! Chibi, we're going this way! Come on!"

"Hey, hey, hold on a minute! At least slow down.."

Together they roamed the shopping zone for almost an hour. Time continued to pass as they wandered from store to store, chatting idly and browsing the diverse assortment of products on sale. It was a while before Misao even purchased anything, even though Konata already carried two bags of various items.

"Mm? Of all the things you could buy, that's all you're going to buy?" The bluenette queried as Misao checked out at the cash register. Her passive surprise bordered on disapproval, and it was obvious enough to put a sweatdrop on the cashier's head.

"Yeah. What about it?" She responded, raising her eyebrows.  
"Wait, what's wrong with me buying this?"

"Well, nothing really. I just had the impression that you were the type to spend a lot of money on shopping trips, I'm sort of surprised that's all you're gonna get."

"What? How did you come to that conclusion?" Misao gasped, recoiling away from Konata.  
"I don't know what you're talking about! I'm an incredibly resourceful and economical person! My shopping habits aren't like yours, I only buy important things, not just random items I see on the shelves!"

"Food is important, Misao."

"And what about everything else?"

"Merchandise is important too!"

"Sure, sure, whatever."

"What is that thing you got anyways?"

"No idea, but it looks nice!"

"That means it isn't important. You can use it a a decoration or something, I guess.."

"Um.. It is a decoration, miss. You could use it as a good luck charm, if you really wanted.." Someone else's voice hesitantly joined in with a helpful explanation.

Konata and Misao looked towards the third speaker, who happened to be the cashier. He instinctively leaned back under the pressure of their gazes.

"It's rude to listen into someone else's conversation. Especially when it's two girls you've never met before. You'll ruin your chances if you start off an event with a lame comment like that, anyways. I'll bet you're single!"

"Yeah, what she said! Chibi isn't interested. Neither am I."

"Err.. sorry. My apologies.."

Konata grinned at his discomfort before she let him off the hook.

"Chill, I was joking. You are single though, right?"

"Y.. Yes. I am."

The two girls shared a chuckle as they walked away, leaving the poor boy to continue his work shame-faced. He earned a sympathetic smile from the next customer, an elderly man who happened to have three grandchildren.

"See, Misao? I was right! Video games help me figure this kind of stuff out, isn't that amazing?"

"And Hiiragi always says that those things don't teach you anything! You showed her!"

"Heh.. yeah.. That's what Kagami always says.."

They walked in silence after that exchange. Misao could practically sense the imperceptible frost that had formed in the air, so thin it could be broken by a single breath but there nonetheless. She looked over at Konata, who saw in her peripheral vision and met Misao's eyes. Then, the ice was gone.

"Hmm?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing. Just felt something weird for a second. Like, a ghost!"

"Ghosts.. I've always wondered if they exist. I actually had a real encounter with one before, it was actually sort of creepy.. But I think the ghost just wanted to photobomb, and it didn't really want to hurt any of us."

"Photobomb? Ghosts can do that?"

"Guess so. We deleted it, because dad was starting to freak out."

"Wow. That's crazy! Doesn't that mean you have a connection to the otherworldly stuff now? 'Cause whenever someone comes into contact with a spirit or a demon or whatever, more things like that start to happen! It's like you've been tagged as the main character of a supernatural manga!"

"Well, nothing's happened since that day, Misao. I think it's safe to say that I'm not a protagonist in another world.."

"If you say so. Hey, it's getting late! We should find some awesome romantic restaurant to eat dinner!"

"Cosplay cafe?"

"Ah.. Don't get offended or anything, but is it okay if I find a place for us?"

/-/

The sun dropped lower in the sky, projecting a radiant orange through the dim blue sky. The color of the sunset seeped into the clouds and tinted the city below.

Kagami noticed all of this because her attention had flown out the window. Several papers and books had been organized into a stack at the corner of her desk, and all of her school supplies were packed away neatly. She wasn't dreaming, but she was completely disconnected from the world.

"..." Her eyes were glazed over, something that only happened while she was thinking. She willed them back into focus, then sighed deeply.

 _"Yeah.. I guess that's the only thing I can do. There's no point in dwindling on it.. It just becomes a distraction, and that won't get anywhere."_

The voice belonging to one of her older sisters pierced her thoughts. Kagami didn't know what the exact words, but she could tell that it was time for dinner. She stood up from her seat, rolling out her wrists, stretching her neck and her arms. The purple-haired girl sighed again.

 _"It's for the best.. If Miyuki was right about this, she won't move on until I do something. I'll talk to her.. Maybe Misao will understand.."_


	14. Chapter 14

"Are you tired?"

"No."

Konata lied through her teeth. Misao blinked at her a couple of times, taking in the features of her friend's face.

"Liar."

"I know.."

Konata nodded tiredly, knowing she couldn't mask her fatigue especially once the sun had dipped below the horizon.

"You should sleep more often. Gaming all night is fun, but you're going to die if you keep doing that."

"I go to bed early! And you can't die from being tired!"

Misao grinned infectously, and after a moment it spread to Konata.

"Whatever. Just get some sleep, or I'll have to.. make you go to sleep."

"Sure, sure.. I'll get some sleep on my own. No need to come over or anything.."

Silence prevailed for a couple of minutes. A cold wind tapped against Konata's bare arms, and she shivered on instinct. She looked up at the sky above her head, revelling in the pleasant nocturnal atmosphere. The heavens were darkened by shadow, and the crescent moon hung in the space like it was dangling from one of the many wisps of clouds dotting the sky.

Another cold wind blew through her body, but she felt a presence take a place beside her. It leaned against her, inviting her to do the same, and she did so. She was infused with warmth, the girl she was leaning against, and Konata was glad for the company.

"Thanks."

"No problem. It's cold, but don't you just love how everything looks around this time? The sky, the clouds, the chill, and the beautiful girl sitting next to you! Pretty nice, isn't it?"

Konata looked sidelong at her friend, who stared straight up into the cosmos with a smile that was close to a grin on her face.

"Which one of us is the girl?"

"Me, of course. Not to be rude, but I think I'm much hotter than you are."

Konata laughed softly, something between a giggle and a chuckle. Not so much as to disturb the tranquility, but enough for Misao to hear her.

"Whatever you say, Misao. I'm fine with that, as long as the beautiful girl stays with me."

"Sorry, we can't get married. I can't afford a wedding."

"Haha.. I love you, Misao.."

"..."

The smile on the brunette's face faded a bit, and she looked at Konata with discerning eyes. A question was swimming around in her golden eyes, and it was voiced a second later.

"Do you really, chibi?"

"..."

"I mean, I don't doubt that you love me. What I actually wanna ask is, isn't there someone you love more?"

".. Why are you so.. perceptive? I don't even know for sure myself, and here you are with the philosophies and deep questions like you know me better than I do myself.. Man, you're really smart at times, you know that?"

Misao smirked as her friend leaned her head backwards and stared up at the starless sky. Konata sighed pensively. Misao followed after her friend, putting her head back and casting her gaze towards the astral sea of darkness above their heads.

"Yeah, I'm weird that way. It's like someone else is telling me what someone else is feeling. Sounds sort of crazy, but it's like I'm half possessed."

"It's your voice, not someone else's. Whether you know it or not, you really are good at reading people. You can look at me, and it's like you already knew.."

"Yeah.. Funny how people change for no reason. I mean, it's not like I had some incredible deep revelation that changed me or anything!"

Konata smiled slightly, her eyes not straying from the sky. For a couple moments, she thought that she had successfully evaded the question, but her hopes were dashed when she felt Misao's eyes on her.

"So? Gonna answer my question, or are you just ignoring me?"

"..."

She heaved a deep sigh, knowing that escape was no longer possible. In all honesty, it had probably been fated from the start. She opened her mouth to stall for time.

"What was the question again?"

"You know that I know that you know."

"..."

"..."

Misao waited. Holding back a sigh, she let it out inwards instead, putting her arms behind her head as she shifted in her seat, feeling Konata's body readjust itself alongside her. Eventually, the girl spoke up.

"What do I do? About Kagami?"

"Tell her."

The two simple words were out of Misao's mouth as soon as Konata had finished, and the latter looked at her friend with surprise as the brunette continued.

"You still like her, right? Didn't I say that was completely normal? Go tell her how you feel. I'm not the one you need to talk to right now. She is. She's the girl you need to talk to."

"Misao.."

A pair of lustrous golden orbs turned to focus on Konata. In them was a sincerity, a resolution that was commanding but not controlling.

"If you still love her, you can't just sit around with me. Go find out if she still loves you. If she does, then that's that. You won't know until you try, and if you don't try then she'll give up on you. Can you see what I'm getting at?"

"Misao.. but you.."

"Chibi, stop worrying about _me_! Worry about yourself! Worry about Hiiragi! You still love her, right? It's possible that she still has feelings for you, right? This is what you want, girl, to make up and live happily ever after!"

Tears were threatening to spill from Konata's eyes, but she closed her eyes and told them to wait. She took a deep breath, still listening to Misao as she spoke.

"So.. You know what you have to do."

"Yeah.."

"Do you want me to be there with you?"

".. Yeah.."

"Alright then. So.. you know, Konata.. if it doesn't work out.."

".. Yeah. Thank you, Misao."

The brunette stretched her arms over her head, turning into her arm and quickly pulling her sleeve across her face. When Misao brought her arms down, they landed around Konata's shoulders. She smiled as a bundle of blue hair pressed into her side, and a content laugh echoed through the cool, still night air.


	15. Chapter 15

Konata looked down at the page number for the manga she was reading, quickly committing it to memory. She closed the book and put it aside, then stood up and dashed out of her room, down the stairs, and towards the door. Wondering who was on the other side, she undid the lock and pulled the door open.

"Who's.. Oh! Morning, Kagami!" Smiling through her surprise, Konata opened the door wider to allow her friend to step inside.

"Hey Konata." The purple-haired girl greeted her levelly, smiling slightly.  
"Just thought I'd visit.. It's been a while since we've actually hung out, just the two of us."

"Yeah.. I know what you mean."

Konata closed the door before she headed back towards her room, Kagami following after her. Upon arrival, the routine they had always performed seemed.. different. It was like she was watching through someone else's eyes, simply a spectator to her own actions. She saw herself pushing the door closed, leaving it unlocked but giving them some privacy. She saw Kagami sitting down against the bedpost and pulling a book out of her bag, then herself grabbing the manga she had left on the table before plopping onto the bed and opening it up to the last page she had read.

Something about the whole thing felt weird. It gave her a feeling of deja vu, along with a sense of nostalgia.

 _"Just like old times.. This has happened at least twice a week ever since I've met her, but it feels so strange now.."_

She looked away from the colorless pages of her comic and at the back of Kagami's head. She felt a sudden urge to touch the long lilac-purple hair that spilled over her friend's shoulders.

"Hey.. Konata." The same words that Kagami had used to greet her friend had a completely different meaning now, now that they were sitting quietly in her room. Konata randomly noticed that the book Kagami had brought along was closed, on the floor next to her. It didn't seem like the girl had even opened it since she had arrived.

"What's up?" She responded with a question, feeling the atmosphere in the room become a bit heavier. It wasn't quite at the point of suffocating, but it put a stopper on the thoughts of idle conversation.

"Well.. I have to talk to you about something. It's important." The tsundere started. From where Konata was sitting, she couldn't see Kagami move at all.

"Sure. _AMA_ , ask me anything." Konata responded, throwing out an English acronym for the purpose of lightening the mood. It worked, because Kagami seemed to relax, letting her shoulders drop a couple centimeters.

"Heh.. Typical of you to learn English, but only the most obscure terms. An otaku in every culture, that's what you are..  
Anyways, I really need to get this off my chest.. and off of yours, too.."

Both of them breathed in deeply, perfectly synchronized without knowing they were.

"You know, Konata.. Lots of things have happened recently. My brain has been thinking about pretty much everything at the same time, so it's sort of took longer than it should've to realize this." Kagami continued slowly.

"Hmm." Konata hummed to show she was listening. She could tell that her friend was stalling, and it didn't help her nerves. All it did was generate more tension..

"Ever since we.. broke up, I've been feeling really.. really bad. In all honesty, I don't know why. It might've been because I was lonely, or because of guilt.."

"..." Konata drew her lips in a line. Kagami kept talking.

"People have tried to comfort me.. Tsukasa, especially, she's always there when I should be alone.. My family drops everything when I ask them to do something, no matter how simple it is, Miyuki and Ayano always offer to take me out to lunch, or shopping, just something to get my mind off of it.. off of you, Konata."

".. Mm." Konata hummed again to tell her friend to go on. Not that it was really necessary, but she figured it would be better to let her friend know that she was still listening to her speech.

"At some point, it sort of just came to me that this is wrong. I shouldn't be moping around, depressed because you weren't there, it should be the other way around. I started to imagine about how it felt to be you, at the time.. I thought about how much it must've hurt for me to push you away, how bad it felt when I said all those stupid hurtful things to you, how unfair it was for you to be running away from your own house, your own family, just because I was in a bad mood.."

Kagami's voice cracked with guilt, and she swallowed, about to continue. The words that she had planned out in her mind didn't come out, however, and they started to disperse, scattering everywhere. No longer could she carry on with her speech, her plan, because someone was holding her and stroking her hair and whispering into her ear.

"Kagami.. don't.." Konata muttered. On instinct she had moved, not a single thought to what she was about to do, nor would she feel a single regret later about what she did. She had scooted near the edge of the bed, lying down and wrapping her arms around the purple-haired girl's shoulders. Some of her blue hair dropped off the bed as she pressed her cheek into the girl's shoulder.  
"Don't put yourself in my place. I don't want you to feel bad about me, or for me. There's no point in being sad about how I felt at the time! That's my job, Kagami. We all have our ways of dealing with pain, and you've probably guessed mine already. If it helps for you to be lethargic and lazy and dejected about everything, just make sure that you don't stay that way. The only thing that you can't do when you're sad is to feel bad for me."

"But Konata-" The girl cut in, about to protest until Konata shook her head. She hugged Kagami tightly, silencing the girl.

"No! I said you shouldn't try to put herself in my place! Whatever you do, _**never**_ try to imagine how I feel! I don't want you to do that, because then you'll just feel worse and think even less of yourself, and you'll start to do things that aren't you, things that just hurt you and you'll start to think that it's okay because you're a terrible person, _but you're not_!" Konata spoke faster, and her words came out quicker and with less precision, eventually just joining together into run-on sentences and whole connected dialogues.  
"You can't feel bad for me Kagami, I don't want you trying to empathize with me! It hurts when other people feel bad and I can't help them, and if you start feeling bad for me, you'll start feeling bad about yourself, and then I'll feel bad because I'll think it's my fault that you're feeling bad, it's just a circle of depression that will just keep on spinning!"

"Konata.. I.." Kagami started, her voice failing her after a couple of syllables. She felt the grip around her shoulders get even tighter, but not in a painful way.. It was comforting- because of the arms around her- but frightening at the same time- because those arms were shaking and weak with emotion.

"Kagami.. I.. still love you. Did you know that?" Konata said it. She heard herself say it. But she had devoted every fiber of her being to Kagami, waiting for her response, listening with bated breath.

".. I had a feeling.." Kagami's voice trailed off slowly after she said that. Nevertheless, the whispered response set off sparks in Konata's mind. The floodgates were thrown open, and the words tumbled out of her mouth.

"Kagami.. I love you! I still do! I haven't stopped loving you from the start, Kagami!" She breathed exhilaratedly, starting to shake with joy.  
"I'm so sorry for everything! I shouldn't have overreacted, I don't know why I didn't just take everything back the next day! Can you forgive me?"

Instead of responding to the question, Kagami was paralyzed with fear.

 _"Damnit.. damnit.. damnit.. damnit..! Damnit! No, no, no!"_

This was wrong. This was wrong. This was wrong.

She wanted to say yes to Konata, to get that happy feeling that everything would be alright, everything would turn out to be wonderful.

The conversation shouldn't have went down this road.

 _"Damnit Konata.. Why?! Why did you have to forgive me? This just makes everything harder!"_

She wanted to just lean backwards and surrender, to cry her heart out with Konata, and to let the girl cry on her own shoulder.

Never has any other plan in existence taken a worse turn. Why this one, of all things to go wrong?

She wanted to just forget about all this negativity and guilt, to just let Konata embrace her and hold her and tell her that everything would be okay.

 _"How did things end up like this? Why right now, when everything needed to be perfect, things went wrong!"_

What was it that held her back from forgiving, from accepting, from living a happy life?

She wanted Konata to be happy. That's what. But why would she have to hurt Konata to make her happy? What was the point in that?

All of this ran through her mind, Kagami's chaotic, panicking mind. She was frozen solid from the ice dwelling in her own heart, her own mind- the feelings that wouldn't go to rest, the thing she felt she had to do.

Was she making a grave mistake?

In all honesty, she probably was.

How the hell was she supposed to say this?!

Kagami realized that Konata had tensed up, obviously as a result of noticing that she was shocked stiff. She heard someone say her name. Quietly. Once, twice, three times. Each time in a questioning tone. Each time, she sounded helpless, scared to death. Each time, longing for something that Kagami couldn't give her. Kagami shuddered at what she was about to do, but her lips parted.

"Konata.. You, I.. We can't."

And with those two simple words, Kagami felt Konata's world fall apart. She had to keep going. Some voice in her head- some stupid, foolish, idiotic, moronic, completely **retarded** voice in her head- was telling her to go on. The worst part? It made sense. She could see all the pieces of the puzzle, even the invisible pieces. This was for the best.

"I want to, Konata. Don't get me wrong, because you're more than just another friend to me. If I could, I'd say yes in a heartbeat. But that would be selfish of me. I don't deserve to be with you, but some-"

" **No!** Don't say that Kagami! Of course you deserve it! What are you saying?!"

Tears streaming down her face and her cries broken by sobs, her voice was miserable and stung like a whip.

"Don't you see? You're happy with Misao. She's happy with you. You two complement each other. When you guys first started dating, you may have thought she was just a rebound. She probably thought she was a rebound, too, but you guys actually do like each other.. right?"

"K-Kagami.. but you.. If you want to say yes.. Then why..?"

"You may not notice, but we do. You and Misao are perfect together. She's stubborn, but you've probably figured out that she's really caring anyways. As much as I want to be with you, I think she'll take care of you much better."

"How do you know that? Why are you saying all of this?! It's not true, I want to love you Kagamin!"

Desperation was overflowing in Konata's pleas, but Kagami ignored it and carried on, the words coming to her like sand flowing through the hourglass.

"I know because Misao.. she's been my friend for a long time. Almost forever. She's an idiot, but a loving idiot. If she gets angry, she won't hurt you with words or actions. She won't say anything she doesn't mean, she won't leave you for any reason. In that, she's already better for you than I am."

"No! I'll be fine, Kagami, I can deal with it! You don't have to worry about hurting me or getting angry, because I'll always accept it and I'll always love you no matter what. Why can't you see that?"

"I can see that, but if you stay with me, you'll just keep getting hurt. Over and over, this isn't going to be the first time, I'll do something stupid and get mad, then this entire thing will happen again. It wasn't meant for us to be together, Konata, I'm not a good person for you to be with."

"I don't care! I love you and nothing will change that! I-"

"Konata! It hurts me too! How do you think I feel when I get angry and hurt you in the process?! I can't be in a relationship with you, because I'll just do this again! It'll hurt you, it'll hurt me, and what makes everything worse is that you'll just keep forgiving me!"

By now, Kagami was tearing up herself. Her voice held fast, but racked with emotion and threatening to break. Konata was still crying, but her desperate sobs had died down to just hiccups and sniffles.

"Kagami.. I'm sorry.. I didn't know.. Please, don't cry."

"S-see? That's the th-thing.. You just keep apologizing, you take all the blame for everything, even though it's not your fault! You're a god-sent angel, Konata.. I don't understand, how can you be so forgiving? It's like you understand everything, and you never stay angry about anything, and all you want to do is help people! It's not fair, Konata, it's not fair!"

"It doesn't have to be fair.. Please, Kagami.. we can make this work.. will you try?"

"I want to, but.. but.. no.. You deserve better, Konata.. Kona.."

Wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt, Konata let go and slid off of the bed and worked her way in front of Kagami. She put her hands underneath the girl's eyes, wiping away the moisture until the teary, violet eyes opened. Then she hugged her.

"Kagami.. I'll always love you, you know that? Even if we aren't together.. You're in my heart, one of those special people who accepted me for who I am."

".. Thanks.. Konata.. I love you too, even though it won't work. You're in my heart because.. you've always stuck by me.. even when I was.. a complete jerk to you.."

Konata tightened her hug. Kagami hugged her back. The physical contact filled a painful hole in both of their hearts, the beats of which could be felt by the other. They had somehow come to an agreement. A controversial, messy, tearful, painful, and somewhat rational agreement.

They knew that while they still loved each other, they couldn't be together. But while they couldn't be together, they knew they would still love each other.

Konata's tears soaked into the fabric of Kagami's shirt, and Kagami's tears fell onto the waterfall of blue hair. All they did was cry, whimper, and hold each other.

Kagami looked up, having sensed a familiar presence from across the room. Through her slightly blurry vision, a person whom she had known for years upon years stood in the doorframe.

"Misao..?"

"Misao? She's here?"

"This is too sad.. You guys are breaking my heart here, all I wanted was a happy ending for you two!"

Misao sniffled, wiping at her eyes with a sleeve. While she was indeed shedding rare tears, a wide grin adorned her face when the two girls saw her, and her fang was clearly visible in the corner of her mouth. Both of the other girls looked up at her, then at each other.

"Sounds like you two made up. Can I have a hug too? I'm getting all sad, standing here without anyone to hold me! Look, I'm even crying!"

"Oh, come here, you." Kagami smiled, beckoning the brunette towards her.

"Give us a hug, Misao! Just stop crying, because you're gonna get me going again.." Konata attempted a joke. It was tired, it was hoarse, and it was probably less of a joke than it was the truth, but for some reason, all three of them laughed. Tired, hoarse laughs that were made out of less joy than relief, just to keep themselves from feeling utterly exhausted.

Sure, it wasn't perfect. Konata was heartbroken and Kagami was heartbroken. Misao was still the second choice, and she would probably still be the second choice for the rest of her life and Konata's. The brunette knew that if nothing had ever happened, this love triangle wouldn't exist because she wouldn't be included.

But it happened, and the proud part of her made it clear that without her, without Misao, this bittersweet ending would be impossible.

 _~End~_


End file.
